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AGRICULTURAL 

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the  day  indicated  below. 


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NOV  25  1896 

NOV  27  1896 


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CARD 


THE 


Wyandotte   Fowl.- 


its 


GENERAL  CHARACTERISTICS, 


Advice  on  Rearing,  Mating  and  Breeding, 


WITH    A    CHAPTER    ON 


Judging  of  Exhibition  Birds. 


EDITORS  OF  THE  "POULTRY  MONTHLY." 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


ALBANY,  N.  Y.: 

Ferris  Publishing  Company, 

Publishers  of the  "Poultry  Monthly''''  and  Rural  Books. 

1SS4. 


(o  3  6 ,  ^ 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  eighty -four,  by 

FERRIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


BURDICK  &    TAYLOR, 

PRINTERS, 

4S1  BROADWAY,  ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  presenting  this  volume  to  the  public,  we  beg  the 
indulgence  of  the  reader  to  any  fault  or  shortcoming  that 
may  appear.  The  belief  that  much  experience  in  imparting 
knowledge  to  those  of  lesser  experience  would  enable  us  to 
prepare  a  monograph  on  the  Wyandotte  fowl,  was  the 
moving  spring  which  at  first  produced  this  work,  and 
which  now  presents  it  to  the  poultry  breeders  of  America  in 
its  present  form. 

The  rage  and  fashion  for  bookmaking  now-a-days  is  not 
confined  to  the  editorial  profession  particularly,  though  it  is 
true  they  have  absorbed  the  lion's  share  of  the  work — pre- 
suming they  have  facts  and  facilities  for  acquiring  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  their  subjects  to  entitle  them  to  some  con- 
sideration from  poultrymen,  especially  those  for  whose 
benefit  the  works  are  designed. 

We  offer  no  apology  for  writing  up  the  Wyandotte  fowl 
We  believe  the  time  has  come  when  the  rapidly-increasing 
popularity  of  the  breed  demands  a  special  place  in  our 
poultry  literature.  Time  alone,  however,  may  witness  the 
rise  and  fall  of  many  a  promising  breed;  but  until  then  the 
Wyandotte — America's  best  production — will  hold  its  place 
in  the  foremost  rank;  first  in  utility  and  first  in  attractive 
plumage. 


Introduction. 


This  book  is  designed  to  aid  the  Wyandotte  breeder  in 
the  mating,  breeding,  feeding,  management  and  care  of  his 
fowls.  It  is  also  designed  as  a  hand-book  for  the  amateur 
fancier  and  exhibitor,  as  well  as  the  large  class  of  poultry- 
men  who  are  making  a  specialty  of  the  breed. 

We  know  there  is  room  for  improvement  in  the  Wyandotte 
fowl;  years  of  skillful  breeding  will  bring  about  a  great 
change  for  the  better;  we  are  looking  hopefully  to  the  near 
future  to  attain  that  promising  result;  soon  we  shall  have  a 
fowl  as  perfect  in  reproduction  as  any  of  the  old  breeds; 
and  as  an  aid  to  the  good  work  we  offer  this  volume. 

EDITORS  POULTRY  MONTHLY. 


WYANDOTTES 


DEYOND  the  newspaper  articles,  which  are  short  and 
f~*  of  general  import,  there  has  sprung  up  a  demand  for 
something  more  exhaustive  regarding  the  mode  of  breeding 
and  of  judging,  with  the  history  of  the  origin  of  the  breed. 
This  can  best  be  furnished  in  book  form,  which  leads  us  in 
this  treatise  to  give  to  our  patrons  a  work  complete  in  itself; 
a  hand-book  of  the  breed  which  shall  enable  the  novice  to 
rear,  mate,  breed  and  judge  the  race  of  fowls  herein  named. 
First  we  consider 

ITS  ORIGIN. 

This  breed,  not  new,  but  recently  admitted  to  the  Ameri- 
can Standard,  has  been  the  result  of  the  following  breeding 
and  circumstances,  having  had  many  names  and  suggestions 
of  names: 

It  was,  without  doubt,  the  intention  with  the  first  cross 
to  produce  an  improved  Cochin  Bantam,  the  cross  being  a 
Sebright  Bantam  cock  with  a  Cochin  hen.  When  the  size 
proved  too  large  they  were  offered  and  illustrated  as 
Sebright  Cochins.  This  suggested  the  cross  of  Silver  Span- 
gled Hamburgs  with  Buff  Cochins.  These  two  crosses 
mingled  with  another  cross  with  a  half-Buder  and  Cochin 
hen,  became  the  blood  mixture  of  the  early  birds  offered  to 
the  American  Poultry  Association  as  American  Sebrights. 
Their  friends  could  not  agree  as  to  the  comb  being  single 
or  double,  as  it  was  then  expressed,  and  the  name  being  so 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


suggestive  of  an  American  Bantam,  the  request  was  refused 
and  the  matter  referred  back  to  a  committee. 

About  the  same  time,  a  cross  of  a  Silver  Hamburg  with  a 
Dark  Brahma  hen  produced  a  still  more  desirable  type, 
having  pea  combs.  Mr.  Kidder,  of  Northampton,  con- 
tended earnestly  for  this  characteristic  being  accepted  as 
the  regulation.  But  these  crosses,  while  being  bred  by 
themselves,  presented  troublesome  features  of  both  feath- 
ered and  smooth  legs,  single  and  rose,  also  pea  and  rose 
combs.  The  best  birds  were  called  Eurekas.  When  these 
two  wings,  or  original  crosses,  were  brought  together,  more 
uniform  specimens  were  produced,  the  Hamburg  blood 
being  in  the  greater  proportion,  the  combs,  in  the  majority 
of  cases,  assumed  a  more  rose  appearance,  though  smaller 
and  closer  to  the  head,  the  feathers  disappeared  from  the 
legs,  yet  the  golden  color  of  skin  and  legs  remained.  The 
males,  in  color,  reverted  strongly  to  Dark  Brahma  color, 
and  the  females  gave  evidence  of  their  Hamburg  ancestry 
by  presenting  a  laced  plumage. 

It  was  our  lot  to  publish  a  standard  for  them  under  the 
name  of  Hambletonians.  This  brought  the  breed  into 
earnest  discussion,  and  gave  it  a  new  interest,  the  name 
being  discussed,  and  other  names  suggested,  among  which 
were  Columbias,  Ambrights,  Americans,  in  addition  to  those 
already  mentioned. 

Thus  has  the  race  been  before  the  people  for  twelve  years 
or  more,  and  for  six  years  has  had  the  attention  of  poultry 
fanciers  brought  in  a  special  manner  to  its  merits.  It  was 
better  perfected  when  accepted  by  the  American  Poultry 
Association  than  was  the  Plymouth  Rock  at  the  time  of  its 
adoption,  for  it  was  six  years  after  it  was  reported  back  to 
its  committee  before  its  final  adoption  and  admittance  into 
the  "  Standard  of  Excellence  "  as  Wyandottes. 

The  struggle  has  been  hard.  Its  breeders  deserve  credit 
for  their  fidelity  to  the  race,  and  the  breed  is  truly  one  of 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


practical  merit;  for  as  broilers  it  has  no  equal,  and  for 
small  size  roasters  it  is  excellent,  while  its  laying  qualities 
are  first-class. 

CHARACTERISTICS. 

The  cock  should  approach  the  Brahma  shape  of  body,  and 
have  short  neck,  short  legs,  with  a  close,  low  and  rose  comb 
— not  a  fully  developed  Hamburg  comb — the  bars  of  the 
wing  distinctively  developed  in  a  double  or  spangled  bar,  so 
to  speak,  being  a  combination  of  the  Dark  Brahma  and 
Hamburg  characteristics  in  this  point  of  the  wings,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  more  fully  in  our  chapter  on  judging. 

The  female  should  be  long  in  body,  the  cushion  slightly 
raised  to  a  convex  sweep  from  hackle  to  saddle,  moder- 
ately short  in  neck  and  legs,  the  latter  being  golden  yellow 
in  color. 

The  fowls  grow  more  rapidly  than  the  Plymouth  Rocks, 
are  shorter  bodied  and  more  compact.  Yet  this  is  against 
the  breed  in  its  merit  as  an  egg-producer,  as  compared  to 
what  it  might  be  if  a  little  longer  in  the  body.  We  recom- 
mend that  it  should  be  bred  for  more  length  of  body.  In 
recent  experiments  in  other  breeds,  it  is  shown  that  the 
longer  the  body  and  closer  the  feathering,  the  larger  and 
more  numerous  the  eggs. 

The  race,  however,  is  hardy,  and  its  fecundity  remarkable. 
With  care  in  the  selection  of  color  of  plumage,  care  to  breed 
from  such  females  as  lay  large,  dark-colored  eggs,  and  from 
males  that  are  the  sons  of  hens  long  in  body  and  layers  of 
large  cinnamon-colored  eggs,  the  race  can  be  carried  to  a 
high  degree  of  merit,  that  few,  if  any,  other  breeds  can 
excel. 

This  is  pre-eminently  the  farmer's  and  poulterer's  breed 
of  America,  and  will  in  a  large  measure  supplant  many  of 
the  medium-sized  breeds  in  and  for  American  use.  The 
demand   for  golden-hued  poultry  will  place  the  breed   in 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


advance  of  the  Dorking  and  French  varieties,  while  its  fine 
grain  and  tender,  juicy  condition  and  nice  flavor  will  sup- 
plant the  Plymouth  Rock  and  Dominique. 

This  autocrat  of  American  origin  must  stand  at  the 
head  of  all  medium  and  small-sized  poultry  stock  for  prac- 
tical poultry  culture;  while,  as  an  exhibition  specimen,  it 
is  fast  finding  friends.  During  its  first  season  as  such,  and 
it  first  season  as  an  American  Poultry  Association  variety,  it 
has  commanded  fifty  dollars  a  pair  at  Worcester,  while  fifty 
dollars  was  paid  for  a  pair  of  pullets  from  a  disqualified 
pen  at  the  New  York  exhibition;  prices  ranging  from 
twenty-five  dollars  to  seventy-five  dollars  a  pair  are  being 
made  now  on  the  eve  of  its  second  exhibition  season,  which 
bids  fair  to  carry  the  race  to  as  high  figures  as  any  one  of  its 
predecessors  have  reached.  Certain  it  is,  that  its  merits 
find  a  rival  only  in  the  Light  Brahma,  and  that  breed  being 
an  Asiatic,  does  not  come  in  competition  as  show  or 
poultry  stock;  the  respective  points  of  merit  being  in  a 
different  direction,  yet  strongly  related,  making  these  two 
breeds  to  be  associated  in  each  and  every  poultry  yard  where 
both  practical  and  show  merits  are  to  be  obtained.  The 
Wyandotte  breed  for  broilers  "  fills  the  bill,"  so  to  speak;  they 
grow  three  weeks  quicker  than  Plymouth  Rocks,  and  fully 
one  month  quicker  to  roasting  excellence  than  the  Light 
Brahmas;  therefore,  for  the  wants  of  summer  and  fall 
demands  of  the  poultry  market,  one  makes  a  sad  mistake 
when  he  substitutes  any  other  breed.  The  consumption  of 
fifteen  thousand  broilers  per  day  at  Coney  Island  alone,  a 
proportionate  quantity  at  Long  Branch,  Nantasket,  Bar 
Harbor,  White  Mountains  and  other  summer  resorts,  with 
a  large  and  constant  city  trade,  is  building  up  each  and 
every  day  this  already  monstrous  poultry  and  egg  demand 
of  our  land,  until  not  less  than  six  hundred  millions  of 
dollars  must  now  be  considered  the  yearly  product,  of  which 
far  more  than  its  average  amount  will,  in  coming  years,  be 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


demanded  of  this  now  considered  new  breed  of  American 
fowls. 

May,  1 88 1,  we  published  a  standard  for  Hambletonians 
(the  name  then  selected  for  this  breed),  which  was  the  basis 
of  the  standard  adopted  by  the  American  Poultry  Associa- 
tion, and  will  give  the  novice  a  very  correct  idea,  without  our 
encroaching  upon  the  copyright  of  the  American  Poultry 
Association  —  the  publishing  of  which  may  be  said  to  have 
done  more  to  bring  the  breed  permanently  before  the  poultry 
breeders,  and  its  merit  into  consideration,  than  all  its  friends. 
This  gave  it  nearly  two  years  of  breeding  of  the  same 
influence  as  now  the  breed  feels  from  the  standard  adopted 
by  the  American  Poultry  Association.  Thus  the  breed  may 
be  said  to  have  been  in  a  far  more  perfect  state  of  breeding 
when  it  was  accepted  than  any  other  new  breed  previous  to 
its  adoption.  What  we  had  to  say  of  them  as  Hambletonians 
will  be  found  in  the  following,  omitting  the  disqualifications, 
as  it  may  confuse,  and  for  which  we  refer  the  reader  to  the 
American  Poultry  Association  Standard  of  Excellence: 

HAMBLETONIANS. 

THE    COCK. 

Symmetry. — The  combination  of  all  the  parts  in  harmony, 
as  seen  in  specimens  possessing  a  well-arched  neck,  full 
flowing  hackle,  short,  well-turned  back,  a  prominent,  roundly 
moulded  breast,  body  deep  and  round  at  the  sides,  fluff  full, 
tail  well  spread  at  its  base;  possessing  a  graceful,  elastic 
carriage. 

Value  of  this  section,  ten  points. 

Weight. — To  be  determined  by  the  scale,  deducting  at 
the  rate  of  two  points  to  the  pound  for  all  deficit  of  perfect 
standard  weight,  that  being  nine  and  a  half  pounds  for  cocks, 
eight  pounds  for  cockerels,  eight  pounds  for  hens,  six  and 
a  half  for  pullets — giving  no  credit  for  any  excess  of  weight. 

Value,  ten  points. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


Condition. — Under  this  head  we  consider  disease — scaly 
legs,  soiled  and  broken  plumage  (the  damage  by  soil  to 
surface,  or  breaking  of  plumage,  incident  to  proper  cooping 
and  confinement  to  show-pen,  excepted). 

Value,  six  points/ 

Head. — Short,  skull  broad,  plumage  of  same  silvery  white, 
face  bright  red,  eyes  bay  color  and  bright,  beak  yellow,  with 
heavy  stripe  down  the  upper  mandible  of  a  dark  horn  color, 
apparently  stout  at  base  and  well  curved  to  point. 

Value,  six  points. 

Comb. — Rose,  low  and  flat,  rather  wide  in  rear,  wider  at 
base,  with  less  prominence  of  spike  than  the  Hamburg,  the 
top  surface  nicely  undulated  with  minute  points. 

Value,  eight  points. 

Ear-lobes  and  Wattles. — Ear-lobes  well  developed,  long 
and  pendulous;  wattles  fine  in  texture,  quite  translucent 
and  hanging  somewhat  below  the  ear-lobes. 

Neck. — Short,  well  arched,  with  very  full  hackle,  plumage 
silver  grey,  heavily  striped  with  black,  terminating  in  a  black 
point,  the  outer  edge  of  the  lacing  near  the  point  being 
frosted  with  black. 

Value,  eight  points. 

Back. — Broad  and  short,  by  aid  of  wing  plumage  appear- 
ing flat  at  the  shoulders — plumage  in  under  color  slate — web 
of  feather  light  straw,  approaching  silvery  white;  saddle 
full,  broad,  preserving  a  concave  sweep  from  back  to  tail; 
under  color  dark  slate  or  black,  web  light  straw  striped  with 
black,  giving  a  black  point  to  the  feather. 

ATalue,  eight  points. 

Breast  and  Body. — Very  broad,  medium  deep  and  prom- 
inent; plumage  of  under  color  slate,  web  black  with  very  nar- 
row white  stripe  to  center,  the  breast  unruffled,  appearing 
quite  black  (see  fig.  No.  i);  body  thick  and  round  at  side, 
giving  a  blocky,  heavy  appearance;  plumage  in  under  color 
slate,  web  black,  slightly  frosted  with  grey. 

Value,  ten  points. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


j  i 


f 


Fig.  No. 


Fig.  No.  2. 


Wings. — Of  medium  size  and  nicely  folded  to  the  side, 
primaries  black,  the  outer  edge  laced  with  silver  grey;  sec- 
ondaries black  on  inside  web,  the  outside  web  having  a 
black  stripe  next  to  quill  and  round  the  point,  the  outer 
edge  having  a  wide,  very  light  straw  colored  or  silver  grey 
lacing;  wing  coverts  nearly  white,  with  a  black  stripe  through 
the  center  that  widens  at  point  of  feather,  producing  a 
double  spangled  bar  across  the  wing;  wing  bows  nearly 
black,  shoulder  coverts  slate  in  under  color,  web  of  same 
silvery  grey. 

Value,  ten  points. 


i2  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


Tail. — Well  developed  and  well  spread  at  base,  and  filled 
up  underneath  with  black  curling  feathers;  sickles  of  medium 
length,  black  in  cockerels,  may  become  laced  with  white 
near  the  base  in  cocks;  tail  coverlets  black,  lesser  coverlets 
having  an  edging  of  very  light  straw  color  or  white,  gener- 
ally following  the  color  of  saddle. 

Value,  seven  points. 

Fluff. — Full  and  broad  behind,  and  covered  with  a  downy 
plumage;  dark  slate  colored,  powdered  with  grey. 

Value,  five  points. 

Legs  and  Toes. — Thighs  short  and  strong,  and  well  covered 
with  soft,  almost  we.bless  feathers,  in  color  black  posted  with 
grey;  shanks  medium  long,  scale  yellow  and  free  from 
feathers;  toes  straight  and  strong,  of  same  color  as  shanks. 

Value,  seven  points. 

THE    HEN. 

Symmetry. — To  be  considered  as  in  the  male,  giving  a  low 
carriage  to  female  as  compared  to  the  cock. 

Value,  ten  points. 

Weight. — Same  application  as  in  cock. 

Value,  ten  points. 

Condition. — Application  as  for  males. 

Value,  six  points. 

Head. — Medium  long,  skull  broad,  plumage  white  striped 
with  black,  face  deep  red,  eyes  bay  in  color,  beak  nearly 
dark  horn  color,  running  into  yellow  on  lower  edge  of  man- 
dible, rather  short  and  well  curved  to  point. 

Value,  six  points. 

Comb. — Rose,  base  broad  and  flat  upon  the  skull,  spike 
not  prominent  as  in  Hamburgs,  top  surface  thickly  studded 
with  minute  points,  rich  red  in  color. 

Value,  eight  points. 

Ear-lobes  and  Wattles. — Ear-lobes  pendulous  and  hanging, 
lower    lines    horizontal    with    wattles,    which    are    longest 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


i3 


from  beak  to  ear-lobe,  but  quite  prominent,  and  in  color 
rich  red. 

Value,  'five  points. 

Neck. — Short,  full  in  plumage,  color  black,  laced  with 
narrow  white  lacing  to  side  of  feather,  but  terminating  in  a 
black  point  to  the  same. 

Value,  ten  points. 

Back. — Short  and  apparently  wide  at  shoulder,  saddle  or 
cushion  full,  under  color  dark  slate  or  black,  web  of  feather 
black  with  white  centers,  the  white  slightly  penciled  with 
black.     (See  fig.  No.  2.) 

Value,  ten  points. 

Breast. — Breast  more  broaa  than  deep,  yet  very  promi- 
nent, giving  promise  of  breast  meat;  plumage  slate  in  under 
color,  web  white,  laced  with  black,  lacing  heaviest  at  point. 
(See  fig.  No.  3.) 


^ 


Fig.  No.  3. 


Body. — Short  and  round  at  sides,  and  medium  deep: 
plumage  slate  in  under  color,  tip  of  feather  black,  with  very 
narrow  white  stripe  in  center,  running  into  black,  frosted 
with  grey  near  the  thighs.     (See  fig.  No.  i.) 

Value,  ten  points. 

Wings. — Medium  in  size,  and  nicely  folded;  primaries 
black,  with  lower  edge  laced  with  white;  secondaries  black 


14  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

on  inside  web,  and  round  tip  of  feather  of  outer  web,  having 
a  narrow  stripe  of  black  next  to  quill  of  feather,  with  wide 
white  stripes  on  outer  edge,  which  is  penciled  with  black 
near  the  end  thereof;  wing  and  shoulder  coverts  black  or 
dark  slate  in  under  color,  with  web  laced  with  black,  having 
white  centers  penciled  with  black  (see  fig.  4),  the  black  lac- 
ing growing  wider  as  it  approaches  the  wing  bow,  which  is 
nearly  and  may  be  quite  black. 
Value,  ten  points. 


lb 


Fig.  Xo.  4. 

Tail. — Fairly  developed,  wide  spread  at  base,  color  black, 
coverlets  black,  slightly  penciled  with  white. 

Value,  six  points. 

Fluff. — Broad  and  full,  balancing  the  heavy  breast,  giving 
a  wide  appearance  from  behind,  and  suggesting  an  equal 
amount  of  posterior  and  breast  meat;  plumage  abundant, 
soft  and  fluffy,  color  dark  slate  powdered  with  white. 

Value,  five  points. 

Legs  and  Tbes. — Thighs  short  and  well  covered  with  black, 
quite  fluffy  feathers,  shanks  rather  short  in  comparison  to 
the  male,  color  medium  shade  of  yellow;  toes  medium  long, 
straight,  strong  and  of  same  color  as  the  shanks. 

Value,  seven  points. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  15 


SCALE    OF    POINTS. 

Symmetry 10  points. 

Weight 10  " 

Condition 6  " 

Head 6  " 

Comb 8  " 

Ear-lobes  and  wattles 5  " 

Neck 8  " 

Back 8  " 

Breast  and  body 10  " 

Wings 10  " 

Tail 7  « 

Fluff 5  « 

Legs  and  toes 7  " 

Total 100  points. 

This  proposed  standard,  as  before  stated,  engendered 
quite  a  discussion,  and  gave  the  breed  a  new  impetus  in  the 
hands  of  the  breeders,  which  has  carried  it  to  the  front 
rank  of  American  poultry.  The  names  suggested  were 
Ambrights  and  Columbias,  in  addition  to  those  already 
mentioned,  but  the  discussion  settled  down  to  Wyandottes 
at  the  meeting  at  Worcester,  1883. 


REARING. 

Health  and  vigor  certainly  now  exist  in  the  breed,  and 
can  be  maintained  by  care  and  feeding;  the  most  important 
feature  is  the  housing  of  them  during  the  winter  months. 

We  find  in  our  experience  that  hens  must  have  the  open 
air  each  and  every  day  to  be  able  to  lay  eggs  that  will  hatch 
in  winter  and  early  spring. 

Such  a  house  as  the  one  we  represent  in  Figure  7,  page  32, 
could  be  converted  into  a  shed  and  house,  or  both,  at  will, 
so  that  from  ten  to  three  o'clock  each  day  during  the  winter 
months  the  flock  could  have  the  use  of  an  open  shed  to  take 


16  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

their  sun  and  dust  bath  in,  and  in  which  to  scratch  for  bits 
of  meat  and  grain,  which  should  be  worked  into  the  sandy 
loom  to  induce  the  exercise  so  much  needed  in  both 
fowls  and  beasts.  Especially  is  this  shed  necessary  for 
healthy  fowls  and  a  large  production  of  eggs,  in  the  fact 
that  fowls  need  seven  times  more  air,  in  proportion  to  their 
weight,  than  does  man  or  beast,  for  their  heart  beats  one 
hundred  and  fifty  times  each  moment,  and  they  never  pers- 
pire. 

During  the  life  of  the  chickens  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  weeks  old,  they  are  liable  to  suffer  from  distemper, 
so  called,  and  at  the  same  time  they  will  be  observed  to  be 
dropping  their  immature  tails  and  hackles,  and  the  adult 
plumage  is  growing  very  rapidly.  If,  during  this  period, 
you  use  bromide  of  potassium  in  the  water,  at  the  rate  of 
two  grains  per  chick,  every  other  day  for  ten  days,  you  will 
find  it  very  beneficial,  and  as  the  distemper  is  manifest  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  of  thirst,  the  dose  adjusts  itself  to  the 
case;  but  if  the  case  be  a  severe  one,  and  the  chicks  neither 
eat  nor  drink,  from  the  effects  of  a  swollen  head  and  a  throat 
filled  with  canker,  then  gargle  the  throat  with  kerosene  oil, 
and  give  three  grains  of  bromide  dissolved  in  milk — one- 
half  gill — turning  it  into  the  crop,  or  administering  the  bro- 
mide in  a  bit  of  bread  in  pill  form,  sustaining  the  chick  by  a 
milk  diet  three  to  four  days;  this  treatment  generally  effects 
a  cure.  If  care  at  this  time  be  taken,  no  real  cases  of  roup 
need  be  had.  Fowls  suffering  long  with  roup  are  not  good 
ones  to  use  as  breeders. 

The  best  feed  for  your  chickens  up  to  two  weeks  old,  is 
a  meal  made  of  fifteen  pounds  of  oats,  twenty  pounds  of 
corn,  ten  pounds  of  barley  and  five  pounds  of  wheat  bran, 
ground  together,  and  made  into  a  bread  as  you  make  your 
corn  cake  for  breakfast;  bake  hard  and  crumble  into  scalded 
milk;  give  no  water  until  two  weeks  old;  the  milk  is  all  the 
liquid  required.     One  need  not  lose  a  chick  if  this  be  faith- 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  17 

fully  observed.  After  that  age,  scald  the  meal  for  the 
morning  feed,  and  give  cracked  corn,  oats,  wheat  and  bar- 
ley for  balance  of  day.  This  manner  of  feeding  hens 
will  be  found  to  produce  twenty  per  cent,  more  eggs  than 
the  old  way.  This  meal  contains  in  its  make-up,  seventeen 
and  one-half  per  cent,  muscle,  one  and  seven -eighths  per 
cent,  bone,  sixty-eight  per  cent,  fat,  and,  like  milk,  is  a  per- 
fect food  for  both  chicks  and  fowls,  and  by  its  use  we  obtain 
chicks  at  twelve  weeks  old,  fully  twenty  per  cent,  larger 
than  those  fed  in  any  other  way. 

Colonize  the  flocks  or  broods  of  chickens.  One  can  raise 
in  one  flock  one  hundred  chickens;  that  is,  they  may  be  fed 
and  reared  in  one  inclosure,  by  brooding  twenty  in  a  place 
at  night.  -The  best  plan,  where  ample  room  makes  it  feasable, 
is  to  colonize  them  about  the  farm  in  groups,  by  placing  a 
hen  and  twenty  chicks  in  a  coop  thirty  inches  square,  the 
coops  being  some  thirty  feet  apart;  as  the  chicks  become 
weaned,  they  return  at  night,  each  flock  to  its  respective 
coop.  Five  such  broods  can  be  placed  in  one  locality  to 
be  fed  together,  but  they  must  be  within  three  weeks  of  the 
same  age;  then  they  will  grow  up  of  nice  average  merit. 
These  groups  of  one  hundred  each  may  dot  the  farm  all 
over,  and  all  do  well,  while  to  place  three  or  four  hundred 
together,  of  different  ages,  will  prove  a  failure. 

As  soon  as  the  young  males  become  salacious,  divide  the 
sex,  feed  the  males  largely  of  corn  and  barley,  to  fatten 
them  in  the  shortest  time  possible,  killing  for  broilers  all 
that  are  not  strictly  first-class. 

The  females  should  be  fed  wheat,  meat  and  vegetables 
in  variety,  the  object  being  to  produce  bone  and  muscle 
growth  and  egg  producing  condition.  A  hen  that  is  a 
prime  producer  of  eggs,  like  a  cow  that  produces  largely 
at  the  pail,  carries  very  little  fat.  But  at  show  times,  if 
you  are  desirous  of  exhibiting,  to  get  the  best  possible 
gloss  of  plumage  and  weight,  corn  should  be  used  freely, 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


the  birds  should  be  kept  in  a  clean  house  that  has  a  depth  of 
four  inches  of  clean  sandy  loom,  covered  with  cut  straw,  in 
which  they  can  scratch  and  dust — in  which  case  one  need 
not  resort  to  the  wash  tub,  only  to  sponge  the  head,  face, 
comb  and  legs,  when  put  in  the  show  coop. 

MATING. 

The  mating  of  this  race  of  birds  will  not  differ  much  from 
that  of  other  strains  of  fowls.  To  secure  type  and  color,  a 
course  of  in-breeding  must  be  followed,  to  produce  a  line 
of  sires  for  subsequent  breeding,  while  size  and  large  and 
dark  colored  egg  production  must  be  the  first  starting  point 
in  the  females.  If,  when  perfected,  the  dams  of  one  family 
are  introduced  to  the  perfectly  bred  sires,  we  will  have  a 
race  to  breed  from  as  true  as  our  Plymouth  Rocks,  Brown 
Leghorns,  Dominiques  or  Hamburgs. 

In  language  other  than  the  standard,  the  sire,  if  a  cockerel, 
should  weigh  not  less  than  seven  and  a  half  pounds,  have 
short  neck,  tail  and  legs;  short  shanks,  yellow  as  gold;  full 
round  breast,  that  should  show  nearly  black,  yet  the  feathers 
of  the  same  should  have  a  small  white  center;  flat  of  back 
silver  grey,  neck  and  saddle  silver  grey  striped  with  black, 
wings  as  found  in  the  standard,  also  the  tail.  To  speak  of 
the  wing,  the  bar  should  be  dotted  by  diamond  shaped  white 
spots,  which  give  the  appearance  of  a  double  spangled 
bar.  The  comb  should  be  a  rose  comb,  but  close 
down,  the  base  nearly  as  wide  as  the  crown;  the  spike 
smaller  and  conform  more  to  the  shape  of  the  head  as  com- 
pared to  that  of  a  perfect  Hamburg  comb.  The  desire  to 
breed  a  perfect  Hamburg  comb  is  wrong,  for  to  do  it  will, 
of  necessity,  run  the  rest  of  the  breed  into  more  Hamburg 
shape,  which  is  too  narrow  for  a  good  Wyandotte.  It  will 
be  noticed  that  birds  of  finest  plumage  and  finest  shape 
incline  to  Brahma  combs;  or,  in  other  words,  those  speci- 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  19 

mens  that  come  with  pea  combs  are  generally  clearer  in  the 
silver  color,  stripe  of  neck  and  saddle  than  those  having 
large  Hamburg-shaped  combs.  Thus  we  assert  the  perfect 
comb  to  be  the  small  one  indicated,  by  adding  just  enough 
to  the  pea  comb  to  convert  it  into  a  very  low  rose  comb, 
and  such  should  be  the  comb  sought  for  your  typical  sire. 
In  general  color,  let  him  be  one  that  we  should  call  dark  for 
the  race,  yet  not  one  of  the  dark,  smutty  specimens  we 
often  see. 

To  such  a  male  mate  those  pullets  that  seem  the  embodi- 
ment of  the  standard,  but  on  examination  prove  too  light, 
the  fluff  shading  light;  also  those  pullets  that  present  the 
excellence  described  by  the  standard,  and  such  will  be  found 
the  most  perfect  mating  to  secure  the  largest  number  of 
points  in  the  whole  flock.  While,  to  secure  cockerels  of  prime 
show  qualities,  these  perfect  sires  with  perfect  wing  bars, 
mated  to  the  medium  light  specimens  in  the  females,  will 
produce  a  large  per  centage,  yet  you  will  lose  quality  in 
the  female  stock. 

To  secure  the  greatest  excellence  in  the  female  line, 
expecting  to  condemn  to  the  broiler  market  a  very  large 
share  of  the  males,  we  advise  females  dark  to  appearance, 
yet  having  the  white  centers  well  defined  in  plumage;  or, 
in  other  words,  those  pullets  that  have  wide  black  lacing  to 
plumage,  and  wide  dark  stripes  in  hackles,  and  dark  slate 
colored  fluff,  may  be  mated  to  males  that  are  light  in  color, 
having  light  narrow  wing  bars;  but,  like  the  Plymouth 
Rock,  for  perfect  mating,  perfect  standard  described  males 
and  females  are  necessary.  Scrubs  can  only  be  used  in 
cases  of  necessity;  in  which  cases  dark  males  and  the  light 
females  should  be  the  mating,  and  you  should  kill  all  males; 
for  no  sire,  the  get  of  extreme  color  mating,  as  a  rule,  is  a 
good  breeder  of  standard  color,  even  if  he  possesses  it 
himself.  We  hope  the  experience  of  the  Plymouth  Rock- 
breeders  may  avail  here,  and  all  the  breeders  of  Wyandottes 


20  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

will  kill  all  specimens  under  eighty-five  points,  for  they  will 
the  sooner  reach  perfection  and  stop  the  spread  of  impure 
blood,  which  otherwise  will  stand  in  the  way  of  sales  of 
good  birds.  There  is  no  economy  in  the  use  or  sale  of 
scrub  stock  for  breeding  purposes. 

BREEDING  TO  A  STRAIN. 

In  introducing  a  new  strain  to  public  patronage,  a  few 
far-seeing  fanciers  have  bred  their  stock  to  some  particular 
strain  of  blood  that  has  found  its  typical  representation  in  a 
particular  sire — a  male  whose  characteristics  have  been,  or 
are  to  be,  transmitted  to  future  generations,  to  wit:  one 
retaining  in  all  breeding  stock  a  large  sliare  of  his  blood; 
such  persons  assuming  the  position,  and  rightly,  that  fully 
one-eighth  of  all  blood  is  consumed  in  maintaining  the  strain 
in  a  healthy,  vigorous,  feeding  condition.  This,  we  think, 
can  be  easily  proved  by  in-and-in  breeding  for  four  genera- 
tions ;  invariably  in  the  third  generation  the  eggs  hatch 
tolerably  well,  the  fourth  one  nearly,  and,  in  many  cases, 
entirely  stale.  Thus,  while  we  figure  the  blood  out  arith- 
matically,  seven-eighths  become  pure,  for  the  other  one- 
eighth  is  exhausted  in  sustaining  the  strain.  Such  fanciers, 
in  catering  for  the  needs  of  their  patrons,  introduce  female 
blood  'only,  breeding  the  first  cross  back  to  sire,  the  second 
generation  to  another  sire  of  pure  blood  of  the  desired  strain, 
and  all  males  that  are  produced  in  type  and  color  of  the 
original  progeny  are  ready  for  their  patrons,  who  can  pur- 
chase of  them,  saving  themselves  from  all  this  trouble,  still 
breeding  birds  of  like  blood  as  the  breeder  in  question,  he 
being  only  one  season  in  advance,  and  the  purchaser  thus 
saved  all  experiments  which  he  has  had,  and  can  well 
afford  to  pay  a  fair  price  for  such  males  and  the  protection 
it  gives. 

For  each  breeder  to  do  this,  involves  work  and  care,  to  be 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  21 

relieved  of  which,  when  one  can  secure  birds  of  a  reliable 
worker  in  this  line,  affords  great  relief. 

It  pays  best  to  mate  to  secure  the  greatest  number  of 
fine  females;  therefore,  it  pays  nine  out  of  every  ten  to  buy 
males  of  the  tenth,  who  will  do  this  work  for  them.  Breeders 
who  have  an  eye  to  this  trade  in  other  breeds,  generally 
mate  a  yard  to  this  end  each  season,  from  which  they  do 
not  sell  eggs  to  anyone,  for  the  reason  that  males  from  this 
particular  pen  become  fit  mates  for  whoever  sends  for 
male  blood,  while,  as  a  rule,  the  females  become  the 
breeding  pens  for  their  particular  strain,  mated  to  the  male 
of  the  line  having  the  seven-eighths  blood  of  this  particular 
strain,  whose  new  blood  is  drawn  from  a  different  source  than 
the  one  offered  for  sale,  and  again  secure  for  themselves  a 
new  lot  of  pure  males,  from  which  they  again  produce  a 
new  set  of  males. 

To  be  successful,  one  has  to  look  beyond  the  present — 
for  future  generations — and  back  through  several  genera- 
tions if  he  would  breed  with  that  accuracy,  that  others, 
while  examining  birds  here  and  there,  may  be  able  to  rec- 
ognize them,  in  form  and  color,  to  be  of  "  his  sort,"  as  they 
say  of  Booth,  Bates  and  other  families  of  cattle,  and  like 
recognized  types  and  progeny  of  noted  sires  in  horses. 
This  care  and  work  is  the  excitement  and  interest  which 
makes  enthusiastic  fanciers. 


22 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


HOW    TO    JUDGE    WYANDOTTES. 

[For  disqualifications  sec  Standard  of  Excellence.] 

WTe  have  endeavored  to  place  at  the  head  of  our  article, 
"  How  to  Judge  Wyandottes,"  a  typical  representative  cut 
of  the  race,  in  all  the  prominent  parts  of  general  observation. 


THE    COCK. 

Symmetry. — In  considering  this,  we  notice  every  defect 
in  it,  and  punish  the  same  more  severely  than  the  same 
defect  in  the  female,  because  of  the  fact  that  it  is  expected 
that  he  will  transmit  that  quality  in  a  greater  degree  than 
does  the  female.     Symmetry  can  be  said  to  be  harmony  of 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  23 

perfect  parts,  and  when  symmetry  is  perfect,  we  certainly  have 
no  occasion  to  look  for  defects  of  form  in  sections.  Then 
defect  in  color,  or  disease  of  plumage,  comes  into  consider- 
ation. A  male  with  long  legs  and  long  neck,  bony  body,  in 
fact,  long  in  the  joints,  could,  however,  be  reasonably  sym- 
metric, yet  be  faulty  in  all  these  points.  As  a  rule,  defects 
in  symmetry  are  sure  to  be  accompanied  with  as  many  points 
of  defect  in  other  sections. 

So  we  say,  if  the  neck  be  long  and  not  well  arched,  we 
Cut  a  point;  if  the  back  be  not  flat,  and  is  long,  out  of  pro- 
portion, cut  a  point;  if  the  tail  be  carried  perpendicular, 
cut  a  point;  if  the  breast  be  cut  away,  not  full  and  round, 
cut  a  point;  if  fluff  be  scant,  the  bird  being  pinched  behind 
the  legs,  one-half  to  a  full  point;  if  the  tail  be  drooping,  also 
one-half  to  a  full  point.  You  see  that  all  these  are  failures 
of  different  sections  in  their  shape,  and  not  growing  together 
in  a  harmonious  way;  thus  symmetry  is  defective.  There 
is  no  question  but  that  a  bird  by  the  scale  of  points  would 
be  as  well  and  more  justly  judged  if  this  clause  had  never 
appeared  in  the  scale  of  points,  for  all  cuts  in  symmetry  are 
but  a  second  cut  for  a  defect  to  be  punished  in  after  sec- 
tions, and  the  breeder  must  not  fail  to  consider  this,  and 
reckon  on  it  in  selecting  his  birds  for  exhibition.  Even  the 
comb,  if  large  and  of  bad  shape,  will  affect  the  cut  line  of 
symmetry  from  one-half  to  a  full  point. 

Size. — This  is  affected  only  by  the  use  of  the  scales,  the 
specimen  losing  two  points  to  the  pound  for  all  deficit  in 
standard  weight. 

Condition.— This  refers  to  the  bird's  healthand  cleanliness. 
Some  judges,  under  this  head,  cut  for  broken  plumage, 
while  others  consider  all  broken  plumage  in  the  sections  in 
which  it  occurs,  as  the  visitors  at  an  exhibition  understand 
such  awards  best.  Fowls  suffering  with  distemper  and 
disease  of  head  are  cut  from  one  to  three  points;  a  scurvy, 
or  "  black  comb,"  one  point;  scaly  legs,  from  one  to  three 


24  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

points;  soiled,  injured  plumage,  from  one  to  three  points; 
slight  surface  soiling,  incident  to  cooping  of  the  sexes  and 
transit  to  exhibition,  should  not  be  cut;  a  judge  can  readily 
tell  if  the  birds  have  had  proper  care,  and  all  unavoidable 
soiling  is  allowed  to  go  uncut. 

Head. — This  should  be  short,  and  crown  broad,  the  plu- 
mage silver  white;  therefore,  if  it  be  narrow  in  the  crown, 
or  long  or  snaky,  to  use  the  expression,  cut  one  point;  if 
eyes  be  other  color  than  bay,  cut  one  point ;  if  beak  be  whollt 
black  or  not  well  arched,  cut  one  point  for  each;  it  should 
be  dark  horn  color,  shading  to  yellow  at  the  point. 

Comb. — If  the  comb  be  large,  standing  high,  cut  from  one 
to  two  points;  if  "  clubbed,"  having  no  spike,  cut  one  to  two 
points,  for  only  when  low  and  close  fitting  to  head,  with 
small  spike,  oval  in  front,  can  it  be  said  to  be  perfect. 
Many  of  the  cuts  mislead  the  breeder  into  the  belief  that  the 
comb  should  be  fully  developed,  like  the  Hamburg,  and  of 
Hamburg  shape,  when  a  perfect  Wyandotte  comb  should 
be  nearly,  if  not  quite,  as  wide  at  the  base  as  crown;  the 
spike  conforming  more  to  the  skull  than  does  the  Hamburg, 
for  a  comb  so  large  as  to  fall  to  either  side  disqualifies  the 
specimen  altogether. 

Wattles  and  Ear-lobes. — A  perfect  colored  ear-lobe  and 
wattle  should  be  bright  red.  As  a  rule,  ear-lobes  get 
cut  only  when  tainted  with  foreign  color,  an  encrusted  sur- 
face, enamel,  as  it  is  called,  like  that  of  Spanish  breeds;  for 
if  the  ear  be  covered  wholly  by  this  white  or  yellow  opaque 
substance,  the  bird  is  disqualified;  but  if  partially  tainted, 
it  is  cut  from  one  to  three  points;  if,  in  the  judgment 
of  the  judge,  three  points  will  not  punish  the  defect,  he 
should  promptly  disqualify.  The  wattles  may  be  wrinkled 
or  torn  by  fighting,  which  seldom  appears  in  condition  to  be 
cut  more  than  one-half  to  one  point;  when  both  wattles  are 
missing,  we  cut  two  points.  Perfectly  red,  and  smooth  and 
fine  in  texture  being  the  perfect  condition  of  this  section. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  25 

Neck. — Should  be  short  and  well  arched.  When  long  or 
carried  forward,  losing  that  nice  arch  desired,  cut  from  one- 
half  to  one  point.  If  the  hackle  be  short  and  not  abun- 
dant, cut  a  point.  If  the  color  be  white,  or  insufficiently 
striped,  being  brown  in  the  stripe  instead  of  black,  the 
specimen  should  then  be  punished  from  one  to  three  points. 
If  the  neck  be  smutty  black,  the  plumage  losing  the  nice 
silver  lacing  to  the  feather,  cut  from  one  to  three  points, 
as  in  degree.  If  the  plumage  that  should  be  silvery  white 
be  straw  color  or  yellow,  cut  from  one  to  two  points,  for  a 
neck  can  only  be  called  perfect  that  is  well  arched  and  in 
plumage  is  a  silver  gray  striped  to  a  point  with  black. 

Back — Is  short  and  flat  at  shoulder,  at  least  has  that 
appearance  ;  the  feathers  from  the  arm  of  the  wing 
making  a  flat  surface  at  the  juncture  with  hackle;  in  color 
these  are  silvery  white.  When  the  wings  are  set  on  low  it 
shows  the  true  shape  of  the  back,  which  would  look  oval  and 
narrow,  injuring  the  symmetry;  in  this  case,  cut  one  point.  If 
the  saddle  be  silvery  gray,  having  no  black  stripe  in  center 
of  feather,  cut  from  one  to  two  and  a  half  points,  as  it  fails. 
If  the  silver  color  be  tarnished  to  look  straw  color  or  bronze 
and  yellow,  cut  from  one  to  three,  as  in  degree  ;  these 
mixed  colors  of  yellow  and  bronze  mar  its  beauty.  If  the 
saddle  be  scant,  allowing  the  tail  to  cut  through,  cut  a  point. 
If  the  saddle  plumage  be  short,  not  full  about  the  tail,  cut 
a  point. 

Breast  and  Body. — First  feel  of  breast  bone,  if  crooked 
cut  one  point.  If  the  breast  fails  to  be  broad  and  round 
cut  one-half  to  one  and  a  half.  If  the  plumage  be  light, 
having  a  very  narrow  black  lacing,  cut  one  point.  If  the 
lacing  be  wide  and  brown,  not  black,  cut  one  point.  If 
the  breast  have  solid  black  feathers  in  it,  cut  from  one  to 
three  points;  but  if  solid  black  or  white,  disqualify  the  speci- 
men ;  a  proper  plumage  is  black  with  white  centers; 
this  meaning  the  border  or  lacing  very  wide  and   black. 


26  The  Wyandotte  Fowl 


The  body  should  be  thick  and  deep  in  front  of  thighs 
to  be  perfect.  If  flat  at  sides,  cut  a  point;  if  not  deep, 
being  slender  and  shrunken  in  fluff,  one  point.  If  plumage 
be  white,  cut  one  point;  a  perfect  color  being  slate  in  under 
color,  with  black  web  ;  the  fluffy  surface  near  thighs 
being  slightly  frosted  with  white. 

Wings. — If  they  fail  wholly  in  the  bars,  cut  three  points, 
diminishing  the  cut  as  the  perfect  bar  is  developed. 
The  bar  to  be  perfect  should  present  a  spangled  double-bar, 
as  the  Standard  expresses  it.  If  you  examine  you  will  find 
the  feathers  of  the  wing  coverts  have  a  black  line  along  the 
shaft,  widening  at  the  point  into  a  spear-head  or  spangle. 
Now,  the  lapping  of  the  coverts  makes  the  bar,  the 
lesser  reaching  the  outer  bar  by  the  point  of  the  feather, 
making  an  absolutely  perfect  specimen  —  a  single  bar 
with  diamond  white  spots  through  the  center  of  the 
bar.  So  essential  to  their  beauty  is  this  heavy  bar  that 
judges  cut  lightly  when  the  wing  is  so  heavy  as  to  present 
a  full  solid  or  Dark  Brahma  bar,  as  it  is  called,  yet  it  should 
be  cut  one-half  to  a  full  point,  and  considered  as  next  best  to 
what  has  been  described  as  perfect.  If  the  wing  be  poorly 
folded,  cut  from  one  to  three  points,  the  latter  when  the 
primaries  fold  outside  the  secondaries.  Primaries  three- 
quarters  white  should  be  cut  one  point  for  each  wing;,  wholly 
black,  the  same;  secondaries,  wholly  white,  one  point  each 
wing;  if  wholly  black,  thus  showing  a  black  tip  instead  of 
white,  cut  from  one  to  two  points;  lesser  coverts  wholly 
black,  one  to  two  points. 

Tail. — If  it  be  not  well  spread  at  base,  one  point.  If  the 
sickles  are  straight  in  form  of  a  scimiter,  cut  one  point.  If 
the  sickles  be  white,  one  to  two  points,  as  in  degree. 
If  the  lesser  sickles  or  tail  coverts,  as  they  aer  called,  are 
tarnished  with  white,  cut  one  to  two  points,  as  in  degree. 
Lesser  coverts  wholly  white  or  silver  colored,  one  point. 
If  the  tail  be  carried  squirrel,  one  to  two  points;  when 
carried  perpendicular,  one  point. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


27 


Fluff.— -If  pinched,  cut  one  point;  if  other  than  dark  slate 
color,  cut  from  one  to  two  points,  as  it  shall  approach  to  white; 
the  white  frosting  on  a  dark  slate  being  the  perfect  color. 

Legs  and  Toes. — If  the  thighs  are  long  and  small,  cut  one 
point;  if  plumage  of  same  be  white,  cut  one  point;  shanks 
long  and  slim,  cut  one  point;  if  pale  yellow,  cut  one  point; 
cutting  one  point  for  each  crooked  toe.  If  feathers  appear  on 
the  shanks,  or  if  legs  and  toes  be  any  other  color  than 
yellow — if  straw  color,  they  should  be  cut  one  and  one-half 
points;  if  the  front  be  clouded  with  a  dusky  color,  the  rear 
of  the  shank  being  yellow,  cut  one  and  one-half  points; 
but  the  legs  being  wholly  flesh  color,  blue,  willow  or  black, 
disqualifies. 


m 


*»-*= 


^js, 


THE    HEN. 

Symmetry. — If  the  back  have  a  concave  sweep  to  tail,  show- 
ing no  fullness  to  cushion,  cut  one-half  point,  [f  so  Hat  as  to 
allow  tail   to  cut  through,  cut   a   full   point.      If   narrow  in 


28  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

breast,  cut  one  point.  If  tail  drops  low  or  so  small  as  to 
be  covered  by  the  cushion  (unless  in  moulting),  cut  one 
point  for  each  of  these  defects.  If  long  in  legs  and  neck, 
cut  a  point. 

Condition. — Same  conditions  apply  here  as  described  in 
the  male. 

Head. — If  snaky,  having  a  narrow  skull  beyond  a  reason- 
able feminine  comparison  to  that  of  the  cock,  cut  one  point. 
If  depressed  at  base,  giving  a  long  appearance  to  beak,  cut 
one  point.  If  comb  and  face  be  black  or  purple,  not  red, 
cut  one  point;  beak  wholly  dark  horn  color  or  flesh  color, 
cut  one  point.  If  plumage  be  other  than  silver  gray,  cut 
one-half  to  one  point. 

Comb. — Should  be  small  and  close  down  on  the  head  to 
be  perfect.  If  large,  cut  one  point.  If  large  and  irregular 
in  shape,  from  one  to  two  and  one-half  points,  as  in  degree. 
If  falling  to  either  side  of  head,  disqualify,  it  being  subject 
to  the  same  cuts   and  conditions  as  described  for  the  male. 

Ear-lobes  and  Wattles. — In  the  hen  these  are  by  no  means 
so  largely  developed  as  in  the  male,  yet  the  lobes  are  quite 
prominent  and  the  wattles  fairly  developed  into  a  well-T 
rounded  size;  the  ear-lobes  being  less  liable  to  the  enamel 
coating  so  objectionable;  but  when  this  coating  appears,  it 
is  to  be  cut  from  one  to  three  points,  as  it  approaches 
having  the  whole  surface  covered,  when,  like  the  male,  she 
must  be  disqualified.  We  would  not  cut  the  specimen  if 
the  wattles  were  ever  so  small,  but  if  absolutely  wanting, 
as  is  sometimes  the  case,  we  must  cut  two  points.  If 
wrinkled  or  afflicted  with  bunches,  the  effect  of  congealed 
pus,  the  result  of  roup  or  chill,  then  cut  from  one  to  two 
points,  as  seems  just. 

Neek. — If  long  and  not  arched,  cut  from  one  to  two  points, 
but  one-half  to  one  point  is  as  bad  a  defect  of  this  nature  as 
we  often  find.  If  the  stripe  in  the  silver  gray  be  wide  at 
the   point,  giving  a  blotched  appearance,   cut  from  one  to 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  29 

three  points,  as  it  approaches  a  black  ring  at  the  base  of 
hackle,  and  one-half  to  two  points  as  the  silver  gray  shall 
shade  to  a  yellow  or  deep  straw  color. 

Back. — By  the  aid  of  the  wing  plumage  the  back  under 
the  base  of  hackle  seems  flat  in  good  specimens;  the  plum- 
age being  white,  heavily  laced  with  black,  and  seldom 
suffers  unless  the  wings  are  set  so  low  down  as  to  give  an 
oval,  narrow  look  to  the  back  at  its  juncture  with  the  hackle, 
in  which  case  cut  one-half  to  one  point.  The  cushion, 
as  the  saddle  in  females  is  called,  has  just  rise  enough  to 
give  it  a  slight  convex  sweep  from  hackle  to  tail;  when  flat, 
cut  one-half  point;  when  so  flat  as  to  part  at  tail,  cut  one  to 
one  and  a  half.  If  the  plumage  be  white,  laced  with  black, 
or  the  white  centers  be  minutely  penciled  with  black,  they 
are  not  to  be  cut,  but  if  by  the  center  penciling  or  other 
cause  the  light  part  of  the  plumage  has  a  bricky  or  bronzed 
look  or  color,  cut  from  one-half  to  two  points,  as  in  degree. 
Any  deformity  of  the  back  is  a  disqualification. 

Body. — The  body  should  be  deep,  which  gives  a  short 
appearance,  but  as  long  as  can  be  and  not  look  long  in  the 
structure,  for  we  recognize  the  use  of  a  long  body  for  egg 
production.  If  the  body  be  wedge-shaped,  not  round  at 
the  sides,  cut  a  point.  If  plumage  be  white,  cut  a  point. 
If  wholly  black,  cut  one-half  point.  It  should  be  dark  slate, 
with  small  white  centers,  the  fluffy,  fraying-finish  at  thighs 
being  frosty  white. 

Wings. — If  primaries  fold  badly,  cut  from  one-half  to 
three  points,  as  they  approach  to  folding  outside  of  second- 
aries. If  primaries  be  white,  cut  one  point  for  each  wing, 
(except  the  narrow  outer  edge,  which  should  be  white).  If 
the  secondaries  be  black  on  outside  of  web,  failing  to  round 
the  tip  of  the  feather  so  as  to  give  the  scollop  finish  to  the 
secondaries  when  folded,  cut  from  one-half  to  one  point. 
If  secondaries  are  wholly  white,  cut  two  points;  if  set  low 
down,  giving  the  appearance  of  long  and  round  back,  cut 


30  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

one  point.  If  the  white  center  of  coverts  be  much  penciled, 
cut  one  point;  if  coverts  be  wholly  white,  cut  two  points. 

Tail. — If  pinched  into  a  pointed  Cochin  shape,  cut  one 
point;  if  the  tail  proper  be  tinged  with  white,  cut  one-half 
to  two  points.  If  the  coverts  be  black,  or  black  with 
centers  white  and  penciled  somewhat,  they  should  go  uncut. 
If  the  light  color  in  them  be  straw-color  or  bronzy,  cut  a 
point.  If  the  tail  be  carried  upright,  one  point;  if  squirrel, 
one  and  one-half  to  two  points. 

Fluff. — Here  is  where  many  hens  fail  in  color.  A  prime 
color  being  a  dark  slate  color,  nicely  frosted  with  white; 
when  wholly  white,  cut  one  to  one  and  one-half  points; 
one-half  for  a  less  defect;  if  pinched,  one  point. 

Legs  and  Toes. — If  the  thighs  are  wholly  white,  cut  one 
point ;  they  should  be  black  powdered  with  white.  If 
long  in  the  thigh,  cut  one  point.  If  shanks  or  toes  be 
clouded  with  smoky  or  greenish  color,  cut  from  one  to 
two  points,  as  in  degree;  black  scales,  one-half  to  two 
points.  If  the  legs  be  other  than  shaded  from  yellow  to 
straw  color,  then  disqualify.  Toes,  cut  one  point  for  each 
crooked  one;  if  a  toe  be  amputated  at  the  second  joint,  cut 
one  point;  and  one-half  point  for  one  cut  off  at  tip;  but  a 
broken  toe-nail  should  not  be  cut. 

Reader,  have  you  birds  that  can  stand  this  application  of 
the  Standard  and  score  92  to  93  1-2  points?  If  so,  you 
surely  have  exhibition  birds;  and  if  by  this  test  they  score 
85  to  93  points,  you  can  surely  say  your  stock  is  first  class 
and  as  good  as  any  breeder's  in  the  land,  and  to  exhibit  in 
pairs  and  breeding  pens  at  the  next  exhibitions  would  be  a 
source  of  profit  to  you  in  the  way  of  an  advertisement  and 
bring  your  stock-  to  the  notice  of  the  breeding  public.  No 
matter  how  fine  your  specimens,  nearly  all  of  them  may  be 
helped  up  to  an  extra  point  of  merit  if  care  is  taken  to  put 
them  in  the  best  possible  condition  in  flesh,  to  cleanse  the 
comb   and   face  by  washing  in  alcohol   and   water,  and  the 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  31 

shanks  in  soapsuds,  brushing  all  dirt  and  filth  out  from 
under  the  edge  of  the  scales.  You  know  that  pullets  moult 
twice  before  they  lay.  Now,  if  they  have  been  raised  in  a 
close  pen,  with  insufficient  grass  and  meat  in  their  diet,  they 
will  not  moult  clean  the  second  time,  and  if  you  will  pick 
a  pullet  up  and  examine  her  you  will  see  that  while  she 
looked  fine  at  a  few  rods'  distance,  she  has  many  rusty  old 
feathers  in  her  back;  these  should  be  removed  six  weeks 
before  show  time,  or  a  cut  of  one  point  she  will  surely  suffer 
at  the  hands  of  the  judge.  This  care,  with  pains  to  furnish 
a  generous  diet  of  meat,  corn  and  a  few  oats  for  the  three 
weeks  previous  to  exhibiting,  will  secure  you  success  in  the 
show  room. 


General  Care  of   Poultry, 


housing. 

We  must,  before  cold  weather  puts  in  an  appearance, 
make  suitable  quarters  for  our  fowls.  It  will  not  do  to  let 
them  "  rough  it  "  all  day  long  about  manure  heaps  or  around 
dilapidated  sheds  when  the  snow  is  upon  the  ground  if  'we 
want  them  to  lay  and  come  out  in  good  condition  for  breed- 
ing the  coming  spring. 

There  is  no  need  of  putting  up  costly  and  elaborate 
buildings  for  fowls.  It  is  very  well  for  those  who  can  afford 
it,  and  who  like  to  have  everything  about  their  premises 
looking  handsome  and  attractive;  but  for  the  novice  who 
carries  a  slender  purse,  a  plain  and  comfortable  hennery 
will  do  as  well. 

The  best  site  for  a  poultry  house  is  an  elevated  one,  but 
where  that  is  not  at  hand,  the  ground  should  be  ploughed  or 
spaded,  and  the  earth  thrown  towards  the  centre.  When 
the  frame  is  up,  the  floor  should  be  raised  to  the  top  of  the 
underpinning  with  gravelly  loam  and  sand,  and  frequently 
renewed  during  the  year. 

The  roosts  should  be  low  for  Wyandottes  or  other  large- 
sized  breeds  with  a  dropping  board  or  trough  under  them. 
The  nest  boxes  should  be  put  in  a  quiet,  secluded  place,  the 
dusting  bin  where  the  rays  of  the  sun  would  fall  upon  it, 
and  the  ventilators  should  be  placed  in  the  roof. 

In  presenting  this  which  we  believe  to  be  the  most  practical 
poultry  house  plan   ever  yet  published,  we,  in  explanation, 


34  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

would  impress  upon  all  breeders  the  absolute  importance  of 
air  for  our  poultry  to  secure  vitality  in  the  egg.  We  may 
house  our  stock  closely  through  a  long  winter,  and  by  high 
feed  and  warm  quarters  secure  their  laying  condition  all 
winter,  even  to  that  extent  as  to  be  quite  marvelous. 
Yet  the  eggs  will  not  hatch.  Their  artificial  and  forced 
mode  of  life  and  want  of  sulphur  killing  all  vitality  in  the 
life  germ,  and  like  a  seed  having  no  endosperm,  have  no 
reproductive  power.  Fowls  confined  should  be  furnished 
crushed  charcoal  and  sulphur  fed  them  in  their  soft  feed  at 
least  every  five  days,  and  greater  still,  the  best  of  ventilation 
secured  for  them.  There  is  no  place  where  they  will  select 
to  bask  in  the  sun  and  dust  themselves,  in  which  they  seem 
to  abandon  themselves  to  recreation,  as  in  an  open  shed 
having  a  southern  exposure.  The  house  can  be  made  double, 
forty-four  feet  long,  the  two  roosting  rooms  coming  in  the 
center  of  the  building,  or  made  in  a  single  tenement,  like  our 
plan,  twenty-two  feet  long,  with  a  two-foot  projection  along 
twelve  feet  of  it,  the  remaining  ten  feet  being  a  convertible 
room,  which  can  be  used  as  an  open  shed,  or  the  same  may 
be  added  to  enlarge  our  room  to  twenty-two  by  fifteen  feet 
dimensions,  which  every  fair  day  can  be  occupied  from  ten 
A.  M.  to  two  P.  M.  as  a  shed  in  which  the  open  air  can  be 
enjoyed  by  the  flock,  no  matter  if  the  snow  be  ten  feet  deep; 
and  the  swinging  of  this  partition  or  front  from  A  to  B  is  a 
far  easier  task  than  to  shovel  snow  an  hour  that  our  pets 
may  enjoy  the  open  air. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  small  door  is  hinged  to  the  swing- 
ing partition,  and  that  it  can  be  folded  back  before  swinging 
the  partition  to  the  front,  thus  it  is  the  door  by  which  you 
enter  your  house  in  both  cases.  The  five  foot  space  from 
edge  of  small  door  to  rear  of  the  house  and  across  the 
roosting  room  gives  ample  space  for  the  platform  over 
which  to  erect  the  roosting  poles  for  forty  fowls,  and 
under  which    platform  to  arrange  six  or    eight    nests    for 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  35 

the  flock.  Our  plan  is  :  The  rear  posts  five  feet,  front 
posts  seven  feet,  the  front  roof  eight  and  a  half  feet 
wide,  rear  roof  eleven  feet  wide,  the  inclined  plane  of  the 
projection  is  seven  feet  long,  while  the  base  of  the  same  is 
twenty-two  inches  high,  the  projection  being  two  feet 
at  base.  The  cupola  ventilator  being  three  feet  square, 
the  same  running  down  to  within  eight  inches  of  the  floor, 
with  sliding  traps  in  it  near  the  roof  to  open  in  case  of  hot 
weather,  the  ventilation  drawing  from  the  bottom,  thus 
taking  the  impure  air  from  near  the  floor.  The  whole 
can  be  made  of  dressed  spruce  lumber,  with  not  a 
stick  in  the  frame  larger  than  three  by  four  for  sills,  with 
two  by  three  scantling  to  nail  the  boards  to;  the  whole  to 
cost  not  over  eighty-five  dollars  in  single  tenement,  and  one 
hundred  and  sixty  dollars  if  built  in  a  double  tenement. 
This  movable  front,  /.  c,  partition,  will  add  in  expense  the 
cost  of  hinges  and  trouble  to  make  a  substantial  door  of 
the  same,  over  and  above  the  stationary  mode  of  structure. 

HEALTH  IN  THE  POULTRY  YARD. 

Every  year  we  gain  more  knowledge  of  poultry  breeding. 
Our  own  experience,  coupled  with  that  of  others,  gives  us 
many  new  and  interesting  facts  that  aid  us  in  our  pursuit. 
Of  late  many  scientists  and  intelligent  fanciers  have  inves- 
tigated the  various  causes  which  lead  to  sickness  and  mor- 
tality among  fowls,  and  found  that  many  of  the  ailments 
which  afflict  them  can  be  traced  to  bad  care,  improper 
food  and  drink,  and  neglect  of  sanitary  measures. 

Domestic  fowls  are  not  exempt  from  the  laws  of  nature, 
mortality  and  disease  prey  upon  them  as  well  as  upon  other 
living  things.  Yet,  when  we  consider  their  countless 
numbers,  their  varied  surroundings,  and  the  causes  which 
predispose  them  to  sickness,  we  are  surprised  at  their 
general  good  health,  even  under  neglect  and  bad  care. 


$6  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


We  have  always  looked  on  the  complex  organism  of  the 
fowl  with  feelings  of  pleasure  and  admiration.  One  can 
see  if  they  are  properly  cared  for,  they  will  enjoy  better 
health  than  most  any  other  domestic  animal,  owing  to  their 
active  habits  and  varied  food  when  at  liberty. 

When  we  see  or  hear  of  the  ravages  of  disease  sweeping  off 
whole  flocks  in  a  neighborhood  without  malarial  or  atmos- 
pheric causes,  while  adjoining  localities  enjoy  immunity 
from  sickness,  we  are  sure  the  sanitary  laws  were  violated 
in  one  place  and  observed, in  the  other.  We  cannof,  how- 
ever, face  the  broad  fact  and  say  our  fowls  won't  die  nor 
become  diseased  despite  all  the  sanitary  laws  in  existence. 
But  what  we  wish  to  convey  and  impress  is  this,  that  a 
large  percentage  of  our  domestic  poultry  die  or  become 
diseased  through  neglect,  carelessness  and  indifference  of 
their  keepers,  that  might  be  saved  if  they  observed  a  few 
rules  in  their  breeding,  feeding,  care  and  management. 

It  is  false  to  assert  that  pure  bred  fowls  are  more  liable 
to  disease  than  birds  promisciously  bred.  It  is  not  in  the 
purity  nor  the  long  continued  selection  of  characteristic 
qualities  and  points,  but  in  the  way  they  are  bred  and 
raised.  The  breeder  alone  is  to  blame  for  most  all  the 
ailments  and  losses  of  the  poultry  yard,  unknowingly  and 
unsuspectingly,  let  us  say  in  charity  to  him.  And,  while  he 
may  be  studying  and  aiming  to  improve  his  fowls  by  his 
own  method,  he  is,  by  the  same  false  mode  of  reasoning, 
improving  them  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Our  long  experience  with  pure  bred  fowls  of  one  or  the 
other  variety,  and  what  we  have  gained  through  other 
reliable  sources,  only  help  to  confirm  us  in  all  we  have 
herein  expressed.  We  are  not  alone  in  charging  to 
breeders  the  ruinous  effects  of  their  misgovernment  of  the 
poultry  yard,  for  the  every  day  tale  of  sickness  and  death 
that  we  are  permitted  to  hear  while  asking  our  advice, 
shows  conclusively  there  is  something  radically  wrong  or 
"rotten  in  Denmark." 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  37 

We  do  not  believe  much  in  doctoring  sick  fowls — far 
better  the  hatchet,  for  in  most  cases  the  sick  bird  is  ailing 
several  days,  perhaps  weeks  before  it  is  noticed,  and  the  dis- 
ease may  have  had  time  to  seat  itself,  and  though  a  cure  may  be 
effected  for  the  time  being,  still  it  may  leave  the  bird  cons- 
titutionally weak  and  unfit  to  propagate  a  healthy  offspring. 

Breeders  should  endeavor  to  make  a  radical  change  in 
their  way  of  breeding  and  raising  thoroughbred  poultry. 
We  own  it  is  hard  to  convince  our  people  that  their  methods 
are  wrong,  but  if  they  would  for  a  moment  think  how 
important  it  is  to  breed  from  reliable,  healthy  stock,  and  how 
to  secure  health  and  thrift  in  the  poultry  yard,  they  would  be 
convinced  that  they  do  too  much  pampering  and  coddling 
with  young  and  old  birds. 

Veterans  who  have  made  their  mark  in  the  poultry  busi- 
ness, can  turn  this  leaf  over.  The  suggestions  are  intended 
only  for  those  who  are  remiss  in  their  duties,  and  those,  who 
are  trying  to  do  too  much.  It  is  certain,  however,  we  sub- 
ject our  fowls  to  too  much  artificial  treatment,  management 
and  care  from  the  hour  they  leave  the  shell.  We  are  prone 
to  pamper  our  exhibition  birds  and  breeders  with  artificially 
prepared  food,  when  it  is  a  well  known  fact  high  living  is 
antagonistic  to  fecundity. 

How  often  do  we  hear  of  this  and  that  breed  being  tender, 
that  a  large  percentage  of  their  eggs  fail  to  hatch,  and  the 
few  chicks  which  live  to  break  the  shell  live  long  enough  to 
behold  a  stronger  race  enjoying  the  bounties  and  beauties 
of  nature,  when  the  fact  is,  those  breeds  have  been  promi- 
nent with  our  ancestors,  and  esteemed  for  their  vigor  and 
fecundity. 

Rather  than  to  oppose  those  new  breeds  which  are  made 
up  of  good  material,  and  bred  uniformly  for  years  to  stamp 
them  as  new  varieties,  they  should  be  hailed  by  every  one 
who  has  the  improvement  of  our  domestic  fowls  at  heart. 
There  is  no  fear  of  the  "old  reliable"  taking  a  back  seat 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


through  all  the  periodic  "booms,"  but  will  rather  stimulate 
the  breeders  to  greater  improvement  to  keep  them  in  the 
front  rank  to  compete  with  the  new  breeds. 

The  struggle  for  mastery  between  the  new  breeds  will 
evoke  the  zeal,  skill  and  perseverance  of  Wyandotte  breed- 
ers to  maintain  the  popularity  of  their  favorites.  Already 
this  new  family  has  branched  into  several  strains.  Being  a 
standard  fowl,  every  breeder  will  do  his  level  best  to 
improve  their  qualities  and  make  them  creditable  to  the 
stock  of  the  country. 

Now,  while  you  are  going  on  improving  and  beautifying 
your  Wyandottes,  we  will  lay  down  a  few  rules  for  the 
guidance  of  beginners  that  may  suggest  something 
better  or  at  least  help  a  little  in  your  breeding.  First,  be 
sure  to  purchase  from  reliable  breeders;  for,  take  our  word 
for  it,  the  country  will  soon  be  flooded  with  poor  trash, 
many  taking  advantage  of  the  growing  popularity  of  the 
breed.  Do  not  mate  brother  and  sisters  if  you  can  avoid  it, 
for  incestuous  breeding  will  sap  the  foundation  of  vigor  and 
fecundity. 

If  you  are  in  doubt  about  your  fowls  being  healthy,  the 
comb,  gait  and  movements  while  walking,  breathing  when 
at  rest,  and  the  character  of  the  droppings  will  generally 
give  you  a  good  idea  of  the  state  of  their  health. 

A  healthy  fowl,  in  good  condition  of  flesh,  will  have  a 
rich,  red  comb,  the  comb  much  fuller  in  the  laying  season 
than  when  moulting,  brooding  or  nursing  the  young.  A 
fowl  at  rest  will  show  the  color  of  health  in  comb  and  face 
much  better  than  when  aroused  or  actively  engaged,  for 
then  you  can  see  the  red  coming  and  going  alternately. 

The  fowl  that  does  not  sway  its  body  with  every  step,  its 
neck  yielding  to  every  motion,  the  head  elevated  and  nod- 
ding with  every  movement  of  foot  and  body,  you  may  be 
sure  is  ailing.  A  sick  or  ailing  fowl  will  not  sway  its 
body  when  walking,  but  on  the  contrary,  its  body  and  neck 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


will  be  drawn  in,  the  head  and  tail  carried  low,  the  comb 
pale,  evincing  unusual  thirst  and  a  desire  to  be  alone. 

A  fowl  that  shows  a  labored  respiration,  the  body 
giving  with  each  breath,  a  desire  to  doze,  and  while  dozing 
recovers  itself  and  shakes  its  head — that  bird  is  ailing.  The 
droppings  of  a  sick  fowl  are  usually  in  a  semi-liquid  state, 
and  the  color  varies  from  dark  brown  to  greenish.  In 
cholera  it  assumes  the  color  of  sulphur  mixed  with  green, 
the  green  being  the  last  voided.  In  a  healthy  fowl  the 
excrement  is  round  and  firm,  of  a  dark  gray  color,  showing 
light  gray  on  top. 

"An  ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure."  This 
is  so  true  of  fowls  that  we  might  say  it  is  worth  a  ton  of 
cure  and  a  year  of  labor.  Feed  your  fowls  regularly  with 
varied  food;  keep  fresh  water  always  before  them;  clean 
their  roosting  places  and  runs  often,  and  see  that  they  are 
kept  free  from  lice.  In  their  drinking  water  put  some 
tincture  of  iron  or  iron  rust  —  old  nails  will  answer  the  pur- 
pose—  and  a  little  of  the  Douglas  Mixture  between  times. 

We  cannot,  in  a  work  like  this,  have  much  to  say  about 
diseases.  We  will  mention  a  few  of  the  most  prevalent  and 
dangerous,  with  the  latest  cures  for  the  same. 

Let  us  say  your  fowl  is  ailing  from  catarrh  or  roup: 
Inject  a  solution  of  carbolic  acid  into  its  nostrils,  and  wash 
out  the  mouth,  face  and  eyes  with  the  same  or  strong  vin- 
egar and  alcohol.  Feed  warm  mush  with  plenty  of  cayenne 
pepper,  and  make  their  drink  strong  of  iodide  of  potassium. 
Dr.  Monroe  recommends  sulphurous  acid  medication,  by 
making  the  fowl  inhale  the  fumes  of  sulphur  sprinkled  on 
some  red-hot  cinders. 

Cholera  has  baffled  the  skill  of  the  medical  profession, 
therefore  it  would  be  presumptuous  in  us  to  say  that  this  or 
that  is  a  specific.  However,  lately  several  cases  of  genuine 
cholera  have  come  under  our  observation.  We  saw  a 
breeder  in  a  fit  of  desperation  make  a  strong  decoction  of 


40  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

tobacco  leaves  and  mix  it  with  meal,  and  those  that  could 
not  eat  were  forced  to  swallow  the  mixture,  and  it  cured 
every  one.  He  has  since  then  cured  hogs  of  cholera  by  the 
same  mixture. 

VENTILATION. 

Illy  ventilated  quarters,  and  the  absence  of  sun  and  light, 
exert  a  powerful  influence  on  the  health  of  fowls.  Without 
fresh  air,  sun  and  light,  fowls  would  become  like  plants  in 
a  cellar — pale  and  sickly,  unproductive  and  unprofitable. 
If  every  avenue  by  which  the  pure  air  of  heaven  can  reach 
them  is  closed,  they  will  stifle  to  death  by  fetid  vapors,  or 
else  become  victims  of  disease. 

Ventilation  is  a  safeguard  and  sanitary  precaution  against 
the  ills  arising  from  close  confinement  and  overcrowded 
places.  It  is  a  matter  of  little  trouble  to  ventilate  the  fowls' 
quarters  in  summer  time.  The  removal  of  a  window,  door 
or  board  will  serve  for  this  purpose.  But  when  winter, 
cold  and  cheerless,  comes  in,  and  the  bleak  winds  blow 
through  the  leafless  trees  like  a  funeral  dirge,  we  are  put 
to  our  wits'  end  to  know  how  to  ventilate  thoroughly 
without  causing  draughts  to  injure  the  fowls. 

Heat  is  a  condition  of  nature  favorable  for  egg  produc- 
tion and  for  putting  on  flesh.  But  if  we  make  our  henneries 
warm  by  artificial  means  or  by  massing  a  large  number 
together,  we  are  surely  laying  the  foundation  for  their  ruin. 
Artificial  heat,  however,  is  not  as  dangerous  an  enemy  as 
the  other,  because  it  can  be  regulated  at  will  and  the  tem- 
perature kept  more  evenly.  But  to  flatter  ourselves  that 
the  warmth  of  the  fowls'  bodies,  coming  in  contact  with  one 
another,  and  the  air  which  they  breathe  will  be  all-sufficient 
for  their  comfort  and  health,  is  a  foolish  and  palpable  error, 
as  the  sad,  historical  recollection  of  the  Black  Hole  of 
Calcutta  has  proven. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  41 

Although  warmth  of  body  and  the  heat  of  the  hen  house 
may  start  the  egg  machinery  going,  only  partial  develop- 
ment of  the  egg  functions  are  brought  about;  the  conditions 
being  unfavorable  owing  to  the  impurities  arising  from  the 
droppings  and  exhalations  of  the  fowls,  and  taken  up  again 
by  the  respiratory  organs  until  the  blood  becomes  poisoned 
and  the  system  lowered  to  a  degree  to  invite  disease  and 
death. 

CONFINEMENT. 

It  is  well  known  to  those  who  are  breeding  Wyandottes, 
that  these  fowls  will  bear  confinement  better  than  the  Asiat- 
ics, because  they  are  more  actively  inclined.     But  we  advise 
every  breeder  not  to  confine  his  birds  if  it  can  be  avoided 
for  no  breed  will  do  well  in  confinement. 

Within  the  narrow  limits  of  a  fowl  house  there  is  not 
room  for  healthful  exercise  in  warm  weather.  The  birds 
will,  in  time,  get  out  of  condition  and  cease  to  lay.  The 
ground  becomes  tainted  and  they  feed  on  food  defiled  by 
their  own  excrement,  which  rapidly  produces  loss  of  health 
and  condition.  Cleanliness  and  good  care  will  avert  many 
of  the  consequent  evils  attending  close  confinement,  but  no 
kind  of  food  will  entirely  compensate  for  the  loss  of  pure 
air  and  agreeable  exercise,  so  essential  to  good  health. 

In  towns  and  cities  one  cannot  always  have  the  advant- 
ages of  freedom  so  necessary  to  his  fowls.  In  such  cases 
the  number  should  be  reduced  to  conform  to  the  size  of 
their  quarters  and  extent  of  their  range.  The  runs  should 
be  frequently  forked  over  except  a  small  patch  for  grass. 
The  turning  under  of  the  soil  will  deoderize  the  droppings 
and  make  the  earth  sweet  and  healthy. 

Confinement  without  proper  exercise  will  deteriorate  the 
fowls  and  impair  their  organs  of  reproduction.  Darwin 
says:  "  In  Europe,  close  confinement  has  a  marked  effect 
on  the  fertility  of  the   fowl;  in   France  it  has  been  found 


42  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

that  with  fowls  allowed  considerable  freedom  twenty  per 
cent,  only  of  their  eggs  fail  to  hatch,  with  less  freedom 
forty  per  cent,  failed,  and  in  close  confinement  sixty  per 
cent,  were  not  hatched." 

EXERCISE. 

The  more  we  study  the  habits  of  fowls,  the  more  we  are 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that  exercise  is  a  necessity. 
In  confinement  nothing  is  so  conducive  to  the  health  and 
productiveness  of  fowls  as  agreeable  exercise.  Food  and 
cleanliness  will  do  much  toward  keeping  them  in  thrift,  but 
if  allowed  to  doze  away  upon  the  roosts  or  in  the  sunny 
corner  of  the  hennery  day  after  day,  without  exercise  of 
some  kind,  they  will  soon  learn  vicious  habits  and  become 
useless  as  layers  or  breeders. 

Idleness  is  the  parent  of  mischief  as  well  as  of  many  ills 
that  afflict  birds  in  close  confinement.  Under  artificial  ar- 
rangements exercise  can  only  be  given  by  improvising  ways 
and  means  at  our  disposal.  Scratching  is  a  very  agreeable 
and  natural  way  to  give  exercise,  and  to  encourage  the 
fowls  during  the  dreary  days  of  winter  and  early  spring, 
scatter  all  the  small  grains  among  the  loose  earth  of  the 
floor,  leaves  or  chaff  for  them  to  scratch  through  and  look 
up  the  seeds  or  kernels.  Burying  tjie  grains  in  sand  or 
coal  ashes  will  also  afford  them  pleasant  employment. 

It  is  not  because  the  Wyandottes  are  good  scratchers 
that  you  should  neglect  to  provide  them  with  some  loose 
material  when  confined.  We  advise  you  to  keep  them  busy 
for  much  of  their  usefulness  depends  on  their  activity. 
A  lazy  cock  makes  a  poor  stock  getter,  and  a  lazy  lot  of 
hens  make  poor  layers.  Nor  is  it  the  large  breeds  alone 
that  depend  on  motion  for  thrift; 'the  medium-sized  and 
the  small  breeds  and  all  down  to  the  diminutive  Bantam  re- 
quire exercise  to  make  them  hardy,  healthy  and  productive. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  43 


LICE  AND  PARASITES. 

Vermin  indirectly  lead  to  sickness.  These  insidious 
pests,  after  they  gain  a  foothold,  harass  the  fowls  day  and 
night,  keep  them  uneasy  during  roosting  time  when  they 
should  be  at  rest,  and  suck  the  juices  and  blood  from  their 
bodies  irrespective  of  age  or  size.  Lice  multiply  with  great 
rapidity,  the  more  filth  the  more  vermin. 

The  cheapest  and  most  effectual  way  of  exterminating 
lice  from  fowls  and  the  house  is  by  rubbing  through  the 
fowls'  feathers  to  the  skin  a  mixture  of  carbolic  acid  and 
flour  of  sulphur  when  dry,  and  fumagation  of  the  hen  house 
with  a  liberal  supply  of  whitewash  put  on  hot.  These 
materials  are  not  expensive,  are  readily  obtained  and  can  be 
applied  everywhere  in  the  hennery.  An  ounce  of  carbolic 
acid  to  a  pailful  of  whitewash  will  make  it  more  effectual 
for  killing  these  pests  and  their  germs.  In  using  the  white- 
wash let  us  remind  you  not  to  spare  the  brush  nor  white- 
wash, but  dash  it  into  every  crack  and  crevice  and  spread  it 
over  every  spot  in  the  hen  house.  The  roosts  and  nest 
boxes  should  be  well  saturated  with  kerosene  oil  to  destroy 
every  vestige  of  these  "festive  pests,"  of  course,  avoiding 
the  use  of  kerosene  on  sitting  hens  or  in  their  nests. 

In  filthy  hen  houses  one  may  look  to  the  under  parts  of 
the  perches  and  find  that  lice  and  parasites  breed,  brood 
and  hive  together  in  great  numbers.  This  is  horrible! 
But  how  complacently  the  careless  breeder  can  look  this 
"  naked  "  fact  in  the  face  without  wincing!  He  likes  a  nice 
fresh  egg  for  breakfast  and  a  tender  broiler  once  in  a  while 
but  cannot  see  the  necessity  of  keeping  his  fowls  and  fowl 
house  clean. 

THE  DUST  BATH. 

The  dust  bath  is  to  poultry  Nature's  cleanser  and  renova- 
tor and  is  as  necessary  for  cleansing  the  feathers  of  fowls 


44  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

from  vermin  and  effete  matter  as  a  cool,  pure  water  bath 
is  to  the  person  of  cleanly  habits.  If  we  watch  the  habits 
of  all  wild  game  birds,  we  can  see  them  in  the  open  clear- 
ings and  on  the  country  roads  at  early  sunrise  dusting  them- 
selves as  rapidly  as  possible.  And  if  we  give  our  domestic 
fowls  a  chance,  we  can  see  an  instinctive  desire  in  the 
young  as  well  as  old  to  scratch,  pulverize  the  earth  and 
adjust  their  feathers,  and,  by  the  rapid  action  of  their  claws, 
dust  themselves.  The  bath  is  made  more  effective  by 
adding  to  it  a  pound  of  sulphur,  mixing  it  thoroughly. 

SELECTING  EGGS  FOR  HATCHING. 

A  proper  selection  of  eggs  for  setting  is  the  first  point 
to  be  attended  to  in  raising  poultry.  The  eggs  should  be 
regular  in  shape,  of  good  size,  not  the  very  largest,  but  the 
most  uniform,  and  from  the  best  layers.  It  requires  some 
experience  to  select  the  eggs  from  Wyandotte  hens,  because 
some  are  more  deeply  tinged  with  "  bloom  "  than  others. 

SETTING  THE  HENS. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  vexatious  and  annoying  things 
about  poultry  keeping  is  the  hatching  part.  It  is  physically, 
and  we  presume  to  say  morally,  impossible  to  force  or  coax 
a  hen  to  sit  if  she  don't  want  to.  .Well,  what  are  we  to  do 
with  our  much-prized  eggs?  If  we  cannot  do  better,  it  is 
by  far  best  to  buy  or  borrow  a  sitting  hen  from  our  neigh- 
bor. In  many  cases  one  setting  of  eggs  is  worth  more  than 
a  dozen  sitters  of  the  common  sort;  and  it  is  a  plain  matter 
of  economy  to  buy  ordinary  hens  of  farmers  if  you  have  no 
broody  hens  yourself. 

NESTS. 

Now,  supposing  your  "Dot"  wants  to  sit, —  what  then? 
Simply  treat  her  as  you  would  another  hen.     Make  a  nice 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  45 

clean  nest  for  her,  put  in  the  bottom  some  earth  or  an 
inverted  sod,  mould  and  fashion  it  in  the  same  way  as  if  she 
made  it  herself  put  in  a  little  cut  straw  on  top,  shake  some 
sulphur  or  tobacco  dust  over  it,  and  place  a  few  medicated 
eggs  in  the  nest,  and  move  your  sitter  at  nightfall  quietly 
and  gently  to  the  place  prepared  for  her. 

When  your  sitter  draws  the  eggs  under  her,  shuffles  her 
legs  for  the  purpose  of  resting  her  breast  upon  them,  ruffles 
her  feathers  when  you  approach,  and  "cocks"  one  eye 
sidewise  to  see  if  you  mean  to  disturb  her,  there  is  every 
reason  to  hope  she  means  business  and  may  be  trusted  with 
valuable  eggs. 

It  is  well  to  remember,  however,  that  during  the  time  of 
incubation  the  sitting  hen  should  have  food,  water,  gravel 
and  dust  convenient.  Corn  is  preferable,  though  a  little 
oats  and  barley  occasionally  are  good.  The  dust  bath  is  a 
matter  of  necessity,  for  the  broody  fever  generates  lice,  and 
the  sitter  must  rid  herself  of  them  or  she  may  desert  the 
nest  or  ruin  the  chicks. 

THE  CARE  OF  CHICKS. 

It  is  an  easy  matter,  ordinarily,  to  get  the  chicks  hatched 
out  if  the  sitter  faithfully  performs  her  duty,  and  the  eggs  are 
fresh  and  fertile  when  put  under  her.  But  to  care  for  them 
afterward,  and  bring  them  safely  through  the  early  stage  of 
growth  from  the  time  they  leave  the  shell  till  they  can  be 
trusted  to  an  open  coop  outside  of  doors  is  a  more  difficult 
task,  much  care  is  necessary  to  prevent  mortality  among 
them  in  our  cold  and  changeable  climate. 

The  early  broods  should  be  kept  in  a  barn  or  close  shed 
where  there  is  no  danger  from  cats,  rats  or  other  poultry 
enemies  till  they  become  strong.  If  the  weather  be  cold 
and  wet,  keep  them  in  awhile  longer,  and  then  they  may  be 
put  out  in  a  sunny  spot  with  the  hen  in  a  coop. 


46  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

April,  though  considered  a  good  month  for  hatching 
chicks,  is  sometimes  very  fickle.  Often  we  have  plenty  of 
sunshine  and  showers,  and  again  Winter  lingers  in  the  lap 
of  Spring.  However,  it  is  best  to  be  prepared  for  the 
worst,  and  provide  for  the  young  chicks  a  close  coop 
with  a  light  of  glass  neatly  fitted  in  one  side  to  admit 
the  warmth  of  the  sun,  and  a  sliding  bottom  well  cov- 
ered with  dry  earth  and  sand  until  the  weather  becomes 
genial  and  the  ground  dry  and  warm. 

Chicks  do  not  require  any  food  the  first  day  they  break 
the  shell.  Bread  crumbs  and  hard  boiled  eggs,  with  milk 
to  drink,  make  the  most  suitable  and  agreeable  diet  to  begin 
with.  A  week  of  such  feeding,  with  a  little  boiled  meat  oc- 
casionally, will  help  them  along  nicely  if  they  be  kept  warm 
during  the  days  and  nights.  "  Variety  is  the  spice  of  life  " 
for  either  young  or  old  birds,  and  a  gradual  change  to 
heartier  food  will  be  relished  by  the  growing  chicks. 

The  traditional  corn  meal  dough  must  be  avoided  in  the 
beginning — in  fact  it  can  be  dispensed  with  entirely.  Bro- 
ken rice,  cracked  wheat,  millet  seed,  oatmeal,  johnnycake 
and  brown  bread  constitute  a  wholesome  and  nutritious 
diet.  But  if  the  chicks  cannot  procure  insects,  bits  of  boiled 
liver  and  cut  onions  may  be  given  with  the  best  results. 
Feed  often  and  a  little  at  a  time  until  they  feather  out. 
The  last  meal  at  night  should  be  wheat,  barley  or  cracked 
corn. 

POULTRY  INTERESTS. 

We  should  consider  this  volume  incomplete  if  we  did  not 
say  something  about  the  progress  and  improvement  of 
domestic  poultry  in  our  own  times.  It  is  really  pleasant  to 
recall  to  mind  what  has  been  done  in  the  past  three  decades 
toward  the  prosperity  of  the  poultry  interests  of  America. 
Few  persons  could  predict  the  vast  progress,  improvement 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  47 

and  product  of  this  industry  in  stock,  in  building  and  in 
capital  invested  in  one  way  or  another  within  the  short  span 
of  one  generation. 

Heretofore  the  poultry  business  was  looked  upon  as  a 
small  thing,  only  adapted  to  cripples  and  superannuated 
people.  He  is  only  a  "chicken  man,"  was  formerly  a  re- 
mark not  infrequently  heard  from  some  ignoramus,  into 
whose  narrow  heart  the  love  of  the  beautiful  in  nature  never 
penetrated.  How  is  it  now,  dear  reader?  The  value  and 
importance  of  the  poultry  industry  as  a  source  of  wealth 
to  the  country  is  far  beyond  the  ideas  of  those  who  have 
given  it  a  mere  passing  thought,  or  given  it  any  attention  at 
all. 

Few  of  the  early  pioneers  are  now  living  to  see  the  fruits 
of  their  first  labors  and  perseverance.  Well  done  !  we  can 
say  of  their  work.  This  cannot  now  be  denied  even  by 
those  who  years  ago  opposed  the  fancier's  efforts  at  im- 
provement in  the  different  breeds  of  fowls,  believing  that  it 
was  a  grand  scheme,  born  of  poultry  fanciers,  simply  for 
the  purpose  of  selling  fowls  at  high  prices  and  of  no  special 
value  to  the  farmer  or  housekeeper. 

Improvement  in  domestic  poultry  is  of  slow  growth, 
though  under  the  guardianship  of  the  human  race  for  thou- 
sands of  years.  But,  with  the  dawn  of  progress,  character- 
istic qualities  were  established  which  separated  forever  the 
thoroughbred  from  the  ccmmon  stock,  and  the  value  of  the 
improved  breeds  rose  steadily  as  their  usefulness  became 
known. 

Men  of  means,  intelligence  and  taste  care  nothing  about 
common  stock  of  any  kind,  There  is  nothing  about  it  that 
is  valuable  or  interesting  to  study  as  compared  to  thorough- 
bred fowls  which  have  been  bred  to  a  degree  of  uniformity, 
beauty,  utility  and  excellence.  Already  some  of  the  best 
men  in  the  country  are  engaged  in  the  laudable  work  of 
cultivating  and  improving  our  poultry  stock.     Every  month 


48  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 

since  the  original  excitement  of  the  "chicken  business,"  the 
number  has  increased  till  we  can  count  them  by  thousands 
scattered  over  the  broad  domain  of  the  United  States.  And 
still  they  come! 

The  sound  and  practical  knowledge  wielded  by  the 
poultry  press  generally  is  a  powerful  lever  in  the  fulcrum 
of  our  industry,  while  those  engaged  in  keeping  poultry 
generously  support  their  favorite  papers,  and  in  return  re. 
ceive  the  greatest  aid  from  the  many  hints,  suggestions  and 
thorough  information  of  every  detail  connected  with  the 
cultivation  of  improved  fowls.  And  yet  what  is  most  de- 
sired now  is  that  our  poultry  publications— while  keeping  up 
with  every  improvement  and  advocating  the  skillful  culture 
properly  attained  in  the  constant  improvement  of  poultry 
by  the  special  breeders  of  birds  for  exhibition,  having  the 
highest  points  of  excellence  in  symmetry,  plumage  and 
weight — should  not  fail  to  publish  the  experiments  made  in 
the  direction  of  utility  by  all  interested  in  this  specialty. 

The  profits  accruing  from  the  cultivation  of  poultry, 
where  it  is  conducted  in  an  economical  and  judicious  way, 
amount  to  a  snug  sum  annually.  The  keeping  of  poultry 
as  a  business  or  secondary  pursuit  has  become  a  means  of 
money  getting;  and  while  it  adds  pleasure  and  recreation 
as  an  employment,  it  is  a  branch  of  home  industry  that  has 
fully  as  much  cash  value  at  its  command  as  any  other 
industrial  branch  in  the  country. 

To  make  the  keeping  of  poultry  profitable,  it  is  necessary 
that  ways  and  means  should  first  be  provided.  No  domes- 
tic animal  will  thrive  and  be  productive  if  it  is  kept  in  a 
half-starved  and  neglected  condition  ;  and  it  is  folly  to 
expect  fowls  to  lay  and  put  on  flesh  when  they  have  not  the 
material  at  hand  to  do  it  with.  To  be  profitable  it  is  also 
necessary  that  the  better  kinds  be  kept;  that  suitable  places 
be  provided  for  their  accommodation,  and  that  they  be 
properly  fed  and  carefully  and  intelligently  managed. 


The  Wyandotte  Fowl.  49 

There  is  no  question  of  doubt  but  the  keeping  of  poultry 
is  a  profitable  source  of  income.  Little  springs  unite  to 
swell  mighty  rivers.  The  demand  for  prime  fowls  is  in- 
creasing annually,  and  the  prices  are  much  steadier  than  in 
years  past,  while  the  greatest  profits  are  derived  from  the 
successful  manner  of  keeping  and  managing  the  stock. 
Poultry  can  be  converted  into  money  while  living  or  dead, 
and  one  has  not  to  wait  for  years  before  he  gets  some  of 
the  benefits  from  his  labor,  outlay  and  care,  as  they  are  a 
product  always  marketable,  whether  in  the  form  of  eggs  or 
flesh. 

It  is  certain  fowls  have  been  greatly  undervalued  in  past 
years  as  a  means  of  recreation,  but  now-a-days  the  breeding 
of  improved  stock  has  become  one  of  the  most  important 
and  remunerative  pursuits  in  this  country. 

To-day  there  are  few  industries  in  the  United  States  that 
show  a  healthier  growth  or  yield  so  fast  a  return  to  the 
American  people  in  comparison  to  the  amount  of  capital 
required  and  employed  in  carrying  it  on.  But,  after  all,  it 
appears  strange  to  us  why  our  enterprising  countrymen, 
who  have  a  national  aptitude  for  every  pursuit  there  is 
money  in,  can  look  at  the  poultry  business  with  its  vast 
channels  of  supply  and  demand,  its  rapid  growth  and  in- 
fluence, its  social  and  pecuniary  importance,  and  not  more 
generally  engage  in  the  cultivation  of  poultry  as  a  source 
of  profit  and  amusement. 

It  is  absurd  to  suppose  that  thousands  of  our  best  business 
men — bankers,  lawyers,  doctors,  ministers  and  mechanics 
would  engage  in  the  pursuit  and  follow  it  up  for  years  as  an 
occupation  if  it  did  not  pay,  and  afford  at  "the  same  time  an 
agreeable  pastime.  One  thing  which  favors  it  a  great  deal 
is  the  division  of  labor.  The  man  of  limited  means,  though 
commencing  on  a  small  scale,  has  the  same  chance  to  breed, 
sell  and  exhibit  as  the  man  of  capilal,  for  there  cannot  be 
any  monoply  in  the  poultry  business. 


50  The  Wyandotte  Fowl. 


It  is  impossible  to  give  a  correct  statement  of  the  value 
of  the  poultry  industry  of  the  United  States.  Often  it  has 
been  said  that  the  value  of  the  business  as  a  source  of  wealth 
to  the  country  has  not  been  fully  estimated;  its  magnitude 
is  far  beyond  the  ideas  of  those  even  who  have  given  some 
thought  and  attention  to  the  subject. 

From  reliable  statistics  at  hand  we  find  the  number  of 
eggs  produced  in  the  whole  United  States  in  1880  to  be  up- 
ward of  9,000,000,00c,  valued  at  $240,000,000.  The  value 
of  poultry  consumed  in  the  United  States  for  the  same  year 
was  estimated  at  $300,000,000.  The  total  of  the  two  items 
is  $540,000,000,  representing  the  value  of  the  poultry  and 
eggs  consumed  by  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

But  these  figures  do  not  include  the  amount  of  fancy 
poultry  and  eggs  sold  for  breeding  stock,  nor  of  the  stock 
kept  for  breeding  purposes,  which  makes  quite  an  item  of 
itself  and  is  increasing  yearly. 

There  is  a  wide  field  for  American  fanciers  to  work  in. 
The  great  West  with  its  millions  of  acres  yet  untouched,  and 
the  sunny  South,  just  awakening  to  its  own  interests,  will 
have  to  be  supplied,  and  all  will  join  hands  and  carry  the 
industry  to  the  golden  shores  of  the  Pacific,  and  establish  a 
permanent  and  paying  business  for  every  one  who  know- 
ingly and  attentively  cultivates  thoroughbred  poultry. 


WJXD'RXU  COUNTY  P0U1TBY  YA1DS. 


_ian^s 


bans  ■ 


^  Wyandottes 


EXCLUSIVELY. 


My  yards  of  these  birds  stand  sec- 
ond to   none  in  this  country.      I  not 
Hfe   only   make   a   specialty  of  fine   birds, 
|==|  but  I  make  a  specialty  of  square,  hon- 
(T  arable  dealing  with   all   customers,  as 
hundreds  of  letters  from  all  parts  of 


the  world  testify.      If  you  wish  for  square  dealing  and  good  stock, 
address 

A.  A.  HALLADAY,  Bellows  Falls,  Vt. 

Circulars  free.     Eggs  in  season.     Fowls  for  sale  at  all  times. 


Dr.   J.    R.    DRAPER,  Troy,    N.   Y., 


HAS    FOR    SALE    CHOICE 


-*-  WYAXDOTTES,;  -*^  ■ 

JSig \\ t  o&za In  1 1  a 5  a  i 1  b  ^V\\  i  I'c  £ c a  Pi o r  11  a . 


COLLIE  PUPS  AND  JERSEY  CATTLE. 


^BUllXA^  INGIBAT©!^ 


1k 


g 


■■:■ 


|  J. L.CAMPBELL,  wa^T-EO 

WEST  £U2ABETMy    -rur>,r«jT 

IN 


^> 


# 


Do  not   buy  an  Incubator  until  you  see  my  catalogue — 6S  pages.     It  gives 
great  deal  of  useful  information.     Send  five  cents  in  stamps. 

J.  L.  CAMPBELL,  West  Elizabeth,  Pa. 


PHILANDER  WILLIAMS, 


T  J&.  TJ  2sT  T  O  2>T 


3^C^-SS., 


BREEDER  OF 


>>-ASMI'G! 


Has  been  breeding  Wyandottes  since  1880,  and  those  in  want  can 

rest  assured  that  my  aim  will  be  to  improve  them 

in  every  way  while  I  breed  them. 


BIRDS  AND   EGGS   FOR   SALE   IN    SEASON. 


SEND    FOR    CIRCULAR    AND    PRICE    LIST. 


I.  K.  FBLCH, 


■BREEDER    OF- 


CATTLE 


COLLIE 

DOGS, 

Lt.   Brahma,  Wyandotte,   Plymouth 

Rock,  Black  Java    and  White 

and  Brown  Leghorn  Fowls. 

Being  among  the  earliest  breeders  of 


I  have  had  such  experience  in  mating  and  rearing  them  that  I  am 
prepared  to  furnish  good  stock  at  reasonable  prices. 

EGGS   AND    CHICKS   FOR    SALE    IN   SEASON 

GE0.   H.  T0WLE,  Truxton,  Cortland  Qo.,   N.  Y. 

"King  Philip"  Strain  Wyandottes 

EXCLUSIVELY. 


My  birds  are  bred  for  eggs  and  poultry  (which  means  large  size 
and  fine  markings).  My  record  at  the  poultry  shows  is  sufficient 
guarantee  for  the  quality  of  my  stock. 

Orders  for  birds  and  eggs  (in  the  season)  promptly  attended  to. 
Circulars  covering  prices,  etc.,  sent  on  application  with  stamp. 

FRED  A.  HOUDLETTE,  Linden  St.,   Waltham,  Mass. 


V     W.  0.  DAKIN, 


^3^=  ^)OTltt  STBEET, 

Toledo,  Ohio, 


ftgrS^  MAKES  A  SPECIALTY  OF  FINE 


Thoroughbred  Wyandottes 

AND 

Imported  and  Mome-Drftd  Llana^ans. 


DESCRIPTIVE  CIRCULARS  FREE. 


Strangers  at  Toledo  wishing  to  visit  my  yards  can  take  Dorr  S  reet  and   East 
Toledo  line  of  street  cars. 


YOU    SHOULD    HAVE 


THE  LATEST  EDITION 


■TANDARD  OF  EXCELLENCE, 


IFrice   $1.00,   ^cstpa.id.- 
The  Poultry  Monthly  one  year  and  a  copy  of  the  Standard  for  $2.00. 


FERRIS  PUBLISHING  e0„ 

481  BROADWAY,  ALBANY,  N.   Y. 


Dv:  i  l  l  i  nsr  a- t  o  isr  i 


5f 

4* 


Prizes  Awarded  at  Great  S  ho  ays 


MADISON  SQUARE  GARDEN,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  1SS3— ist  on  Fowls, 
1st  and  2d  on  Chicks,  ist  and  2d  on  Breeding-pen,  and  a  sweep  of  all  special  prizes 
offered  on  this  variety. 

WORCESTER,  MASS.,  1883  (Meeting  of  A.  P.  A.)  — ist  on  Fowls,  ist  on 
Breeding-pen,  Special  prize  on  best  Hen,  and  special  prize  on  best  four  pairs. 

BRATTLEBORO,  VT.,  1SS3.— ist  on  Fowls,  ist  and  2d  on  Chicks,  ist  on  breed- 
ing-pen, and  a  sweep  of  all  the  special  prizes  offered  on  this  variety. 

MADISON  SQUARE  GARDEN,  NEW  YORK  CITY.  1SS4.— This  exhibi- 
tion was  the  largest  and  best  display  of  pure-bred  fowls  ever  witnessed  in  America. 
Never  before  in  the  world  was  there  such  a  display  of  Wvandottes  as  at  this  exhi- 
bition. We  exhibited  chicks  only,  and  won  the  following  prizes:  ist  and  2d  on 
Pairs,  ist  on  Breeding-pen,  Special  on  Best  Display,  Special  on  Best  Breeding-pen, 
Tvjo  Specials  on  Best  Cockerel,  and  Special  on  Best  Pair  {either  Fowls  or  Chicks'). 


oBize^s  fez  oaTe  at  a/T times.       &$$&  in  season. 

Send  for  descriptive  circular  and  prices. 

G.  D.  MILLINGTON,  C.  E.  BOURNE. 

Formerly  of  No.  Bennington,  Vt. 

Rutland,   Vermont,  U.  S.  A. 


0  iftt^ie:  bred 


.^ 


Wyandottes  ! 

J     W.    MA  B  ]-:  E, 

Lock  Box   U.  TARRY  TOWN,  N.  Y. 


Jhe  l&hate  fountain  iMubatop 

IS     PRACTICAL,     DURABLE     AND     THOROUGHLY     RELIABLE 

In  every  respect,  and  is  warranted  to  be  as  represented. 

Every  machine  has  a  perfect  Automatic  Regulator,  and  is  also  fitted  with  m}' 
new  Turning-  Trays. 

200-Egg  Size,  only  $50. 

Send  for  Illustrated  Catalogue  of  Incubators,  Brooders,  etc.     Address 

E.  E.  BISHOP,  Box  40,  Lower  Waterford,  Vt. 

F.  L.  MATTISON, 

EGGS  IN  SEASON.  '  „.„„„,   _      STOCK  FOR  SALE. 

NO  CIRCULARS. 

SOUTH   SHAFTSBURY,    VERMONT. 


<A.XI£.X3CT'S      DISCOVE 

(For  Internal  and  External  Use,) 
Has  sustained  a  high  reputation  among  our  best  poultrymen  in  the 
treatment  of  fowls  afflicted  with  Colds,  Roup,  Canker,  Gapes,  Diar- 
rhoea, Cholera,  etc.  Its  remarkable  curative  properties  are  largely- 
attributed  to  tonic  and  alterative  as  well  as  astringent  properties.  Its 
action  is  prompt,  stimulating  the  appetite  and  digestion,  and  enters 
directly  into  the  circulation  with  the  food.  It  promptly  arrests  running 
from  the  nostrils,  and  immediately  dissolves  and  removes  canker  from 
the  mouth  or  about  the  head  of  the  fowl  when  applied  as  directed. 
Trial  for  eight  2-cent  stamps.     Large  size,  50c.  and  $1. 

F.   P.  AIKEN,  Chemist,  Sole  Proprietor,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

GEO'.    F.    HULL, 

ITe-vT  XjeToatnon.,  Oolia-no/toia,  C01a.rn.t37-,  £T.  "ST. 

Originator  of  the  well-known  and  popular  "HULL"  Strain  of 

Have  bred  this  variety  exclusively  since  1S72.     The  best  specimens  of  this  breed 
always  to  be  found  at  my  yards. 


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